Lion Bridge at Burghley House, near Stamford, gets £500,000 restoration work to future proof it for 100 years

A £500,000 eight-month restoration of a well-known bridge costing has been completed.

Lion Bridge in the grounds of Burghley House, near Stamford, had been found to urgently need repairs when inspections, which take place every five years, revealed the structure was at risk. Water had been getting through parapets and onto the road surface, causing a gradual but chronic deterioration of the Grade I listed bridge.

But work to restore it - one of Burghley's biggest preservation projects - was made possible thanks to the Culture Recovery Fund which awarded a grant of more than £400,000. Burghley Estate also invested a further £110,000.

Chief executive officer of Burghley House, David Pennell, said: “Preserving the historically significant buildings and landmarks of Burghley requires a significant programme of ongoing repair and maintenance.

"We are enormously grateful to have been awarded the Culture Recovery Fund grant to enable us to carry out this essential repair and conservation project on Lion Bridge. It is a delight to see the works completed, ensuring it can be enjoyed for many generations to come.”

The repairs done by local companies involved replacing the modern tarmac road surface with stone cobbles which are more in keeping with a bridge of this style. Drainage channels were reintroduced on both sides of the bridge and other work included repointing to the parapet stonework, gentle cleaning of the archways to remove staining and conservation of the metal gates on either side of the bridge. A specially designed waterproof membrane system is also in place to make sure the problem doesn't reoccur.

A time capsule has been placed under a new date tone at the bridge entrance. Inside is a detailed record of the work alongside details of the bridge design, sketch drawings, some materials from the workshop, Burghley items, photos from inception to the present day and grant details.

The bridge was designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, who masterminded extensive alterations and landscaping changes to Burghley House and Park between 1755 and 1778. The bridge is part of one of the most-loved views of Burghley House and forms the backdrop to a water-jump feature in the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials cross country course.

The work, which preserves the bridge for at least the next 100 years, was carried out in close consultation with Historic England to make sure it was historically accurate, sustainable and looked appropriate.

Domenico D’Alessandro, East of England architect and surveyor for Historic England, said: “It is fantastic that, thanks to funding from the Culture Recovery Fund, this important structure has been conserved so that visitors can enjoy this beautiful vista for years to come.”

The Culture Recovery Fund was set up to protect heritage, arts and cultural organisations across England from the economic impact of Covid-19.