Bridge on Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail to close for essential works
From September a bridge on the Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail will be closed for eight weeks while essential bridge replacement works take place.
Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) will be contracting work on the popular trail for walkers, cyclists, and people using mobility aids, resulting in the closure from 7 September 2026.
The work will include installing new steel-enforced bridge decks made from recycled plastic, new guardrails and a new steel subframe, giving the bridge a renewed lifespan of 30 years.
During the closure, the section of the trail will not be accessible in either direction to the public between grid references NY 27212 23760 and NY 27364 23741, or What3Words locations ///saving.thousands.weds and ///riddle.quilt.provide.
Martin Lord, Specialists Assets Manager at LDNPA, said: “These temporary bridge works are essential for future-proofing this popular Lake District route so people can continue to enjoy the trail for years to come.
“We will be taking great care to preserve this sensitive SSSI habitat as works take place, including conducting steelwork manufacturing off-site and using hand tools for on-site assembly to remove the need for machinery which could cause noise disturbance of habitats.”
Martin added: “During the bridge closure, people will be able to enjoy 4.5km of the trail starting from east of the closed bridge all the way through to the Threlkeld end. To the east of the bridge the trail can be joined via a ramp up from the footpath behind the filling station on Penrith Road. This can be accessed from the public footpath that runs between Latrigg Close and St Herbert’s Primary School on Trinity Way, off Windebrowe Road”
Other bridge repair work has been ongoing elsewhere on the trail. Work has already been completed on one bridge and works are underway at another bridge at grid reference NY306245, or approximately 4km upstream from Keswick, or 1km downstream from the Threlkeld end of the trail. These works are scheduled to end at the beginning of September and there is limited access for some users, with a temporary footway erected that may not be wide enough for all trail users to pass through, having a maximum width of 75cm.
The Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail is one of 50 accessible Miles without Stiles routes in the Lake District. You can find other accessible routes in the National Park on the LDNPA website: Miles without Stiles accessible routes – Lake District National Park
