Tilford Packhorse Bridge

The requirements

The 13th-century Tilford Packhorse Bridge is of significant historic importance and is recognised as one of the finest surviving medieval bridges in England. Located between Godalming and Farnham, it is one of only six remaining examples of its kind.

Repair works were required following significant damage to the bridge’s parapet wall caused by a vehicle collision in 2017. Due to the bridge’s Scheduled Ancient Monument status, a carefully considered temporary works solution was essential.

To maintain access for local residents during the repairs, a Eurocode-compliant temporary footbridge was required across the 50m-wide river. The design also needed to minimise disruption to the existing river flow and surrounding environment.

The temporary structure was required to support a uniformly distributed live load of 5.0kN/m² for public use, along with a local point load of 10kN to account for accidental loading during service.

Our solution

The chosen solution provided safe public access while minimising impact on the river and surrounding area. The design also allowed for manual installation, as the use of cranes was not permitted on site.

RMD Superslim support towers were installed on temporary foundations, while HAKI 750 modular beams provided support to a tube-and-fitting deck structure. An industrial-strength anti-slip surface was applied to the walkway to provide a safe, durable finish for pedestrians.

With known flood levels established at the design stage, the footbridge was installed at a predetermined height above the predicted 1-in-50-year flood level, ensuring continued access and resilience during periods of high water.