Just one kilometre south of the little town of Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria lies an attractive little Millennium Bridge which is not widely known. The road to Nateby and Garsdale Head spans the river Eden at a considerable height above water level; and also spans the disused railway track (part of the old Durham and South Lancashire Union Railway otherwise known as the Stainmore Line which ran between Penrith and Darlington) on the south bank. Immediately to the east of the road bridge, a new Millennium Bridge has been constructed nearer to water level as part of the "Poetry Path" project. This project by the East Cumbria Countryside Project is a short circuit adorned with twelve poems describing the farming year which have been inscribed on rocks and stones set into the landscape beside the path. See also Eden Arts.
The bridge itself is unusual for a Millennium Bridge. In contrast to the ultra-modernistic designs of many of the bridges, this is made of galvanised steel, but resembles in style the wrought iron construction of the Victorian age and which blends inconspicuously into the landscape. For some technical information, see the website of the consulting engineers, Blackett-Ord.
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