National Trust Insists The Tumbling Bay Weir Project Is Right On Track

Published on: 6 Nov, 2025
Updated on: 6 Nov, 2025

The Tumbling Bay Weir

By David Reading

News reports suggesting that work on the Tumbling Bay Weir Bridge in Guildford could be delayed have been played down by the National Trust – which insists the project is on track.

The bridge, which dates back to the early 1900s, was washed away in November 2019 after a period of high water.

The Trust worked with Guildford Borough Council to put in an essential temporary repair to make sure that water levels could be maintained and to keep the navigations open to river users.

However, the footbridge is still closed, with a short detour in place for walkers to rejoin the towpath at Guildford Rowing Club or the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

Recent media reports suggested there were uncertainties regarding the work – saying it could be delayed by the weather.

However the National Trust, which assumed responsibility for repairing the bridge in 2023, said it wanted to emphasise that the project is on track.

A spokesperson said today (November 6): “There is no delay to the project. The work was always planned to take place in summer 2026. Works on the navigation are always dependant on rainfall and weather, which of course we can’t predict. We remain committed to replacing the weir and bridge and the project is on track.

“We are working with a variety of agencies and engineers to ensure that any flood risks posed by conducting this work are mitigated, as well as tendering for the construction phase of the project.

“We now have a detailed technical approach, which has been designed by expert engineers and includes for example technical drawings of how to repair the damage. We are also working with environmental authorities to gain relevant permissions and continue to work with Guildford Borough Council, who are supporting the re-instatement of the Tumbling Bay and footbridge.

“We are making steady progress, the work continues, and it is our hope that the replacement works to the Tumbling Bay and reinstatement of access by way of the footbridge will take place over the summer of 2026.”

The Trust conceded: “There is a very narrow three-month window of opportunity to complete the works during this period of low water levels and there is an element of risk to this date as there are several factors to work through.”

The spokesperson added: “We’d like to thank the many people locally who have expressed to us how much the bridge means to them, and we share their passion for bringing back this much needed part of Guildford’s heritage.”

Share This Post