The new bridge (emerging from this mornings mist)

Week 3, and the new bridge is starting to take shape

Three hundred years ago North Lodge Park’s “upper lawn” was a field belonging to Cliff House on the Overstrand Road, owned by Dr Sidney Terry from 1772. Dr Terry could be credited as starting Cromer’s holiday trade: he let out lodging rooms in Cliff House, and as co-owner of a bathing machine business introduced the first ones to Cromer in 1779. Today his name is remembered in the “Doctor’s Steps” built in 1806 (converted to slopes in 1894) as a route from Cliff House to the beach. The “upper lawn” became part of North Lodge Park in 1946, with the connecting bridge built in 1956.

There is more about the development of the Upper Lawn on the website https://northlodgepark.org.uk/the-park/history/the-upper-lawn/ and in our Chronicles “100 years in the Park” available to purchase on the website.

Screw piling has started to form the bridge foundations on the upper lawn, while on the main lawn the corner has been cut off the path (and the railings removed from the side bed.

Work has started in the Park on replacing the old bridge with the new inclusive Playful Connection; fencing is up and the old bridge removed. Apologies for any inconvenience caused from the fencing. For those of you interested, you can still sponsor a plank (see northlodgepark.org.uk for details).

With your tremendous support we have been busy fund raising to provide inclusive access to the Upper Lawn and improve the play facilities in the Park. I am pleased to report that on 1 June 2020 work will commence to install the fully accessible ‘playful bridge’ linking the two sections of the park divided by the sunken walkway.

We thought long and hard about whether to go ahead with this project in the current unprecedented times. After much deliberation, and with support from NNDC, it was decided to go ahead – so when the bridge is finished and we emerge from the other side of this pandemic Cromer will have something to celebrate

Inevitably it has taken time to research, develop and get approval for such an ambitious scheme, but the funding was finally in place just as the country locked down.

You rose magnificently to the challenge of helping the project financially by sponsoring a plank. Although successful grant applications contributed over £80,000 towards the project, with a significant contribution from Cromer Town Council and the Government Pocket Parks fund, most of the funding has come from the community, with a major contribution (£90,000) from café takings thanks to our customers, volunteer staff and bakers.

There was a fantastic response to our funding appeals, with over £25,000 raised from individual plaques for sponsored planks on the bridge, and from sales of our books of café cake recipes (Will You Marry Me?) and the Brief History of the Park.

Some of the periphery works - such as benches – are being delayed and still need funding: there’s still time to sponsor a plank or buy one of the books – see northlodgepark.org.uk for full details – to help complete the project.

With the current restrictions in place, we can't be definitive on dates, it depends how much the suppliers are impacted over the coming weeks. But the contractor, Modern Method Construction Ltd will commence on June 1st, although some of the play equipment and landscaping outside the main contractors’ remit will be implemented later.

The new zig-zag wooden bridge will allow explorers of all ages and abilities to easily access the new play area which will include a range of new play equipment as well as areas of wild flowers and pathways to open up access to the cliff top path. The bridge itself will include some elements of play and will take approx. 6 weeks to construct. During this time the sunken walkway will be closed to the public with diversion notices in place.