AN eight-month project to repair one of Chester's historic City Walls gates has been completed.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Bridges and Structures team arranged the project, which took place between January and early September this year.

The Grade I listed bridge, at the end of Lower Bridge Street, was originally closed for safety reasons when a problem was found with the parapet, with visible cracks seen on the surface.

Cracks that triggered the initial investigation.

Cracks that triggered the initial investigation.

Scheduled Monument Consent, which can only be granted by Historic England, was needed to enable the council to investigate the cause of the problem and to check that parts of the structure below the paving were in a safe condition. Repairs then had to take place when weather conditions were warm enough to allow the use of specialist lime mortar.

The structure has now been restored with care. The parapet coping stones were originally tied together using slate but over the years some had been replaced with concrete.

During the repairs, these concrete ties were removed and new slate ones were installed to ensure the repairs undertaken were sympathetic to their original materials and in keeping with the bridge’s age.

New slate tiles.

New slate tiles.

The council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport, Cllr Karen Shore said: “The council is honoured to have such a precious and historic structure under its care. Since 2009 a total of over £7m has been spent on projects to restore and maintain Chester’s City Walls.

“At Bridgegate, investigations into the way the various parts of the parapet are connected together found a number of defects which have now been repaired. However, the structure beneath the walkway paving was found to be in good condition and structurally sound which was good news.

Repaired cracks.

Repaired cracks.

“While the bridge was closed, engineers took the opportunity to carry out some routine tasks like masonry repairs, repointing and vegetation removal which are difficult to carry out when the bridge is in use, to minimise disruption.”

It's part of CWaC's ongoing efforts to repair the City Walls.

Restored steps at Bridgegate in Chester.

Restored steps at Bridgegate in Chester.

One of the main repair projects which remains outstanding is the section of collapsed wall near the Eastgate Clock, which collapsed on January 16, 2020.

Engineers, alongside external specialists, have designed a temporary walkway which is incorporated into the scaffolding needed to prop up the wall. The scaffold was carefully designed to protect the Wesley Church Centre, take into account crypts and other buried archaeology between the Church and the walls, and maintain a fire escape route for the surrounding buildings.

More scaffold propping has been designed to support the partially collapsed inner wall to prevent any further loss and to create a safe working area.

The council says, on a dedicated page giving updates on the City Walls: "Access to this land-locked site is extremely difficult for vehicles and so all building materials and equipment have had to be brought in by hand.

"Negotiations are ongoing with surrounding property owners to gain access to the collapsed side to install the next phase of the propping.

"When this is in place, engineers and conservation specialists can investigate the condition of the remaining structure and plan the repairs in consultation with Historic England."

The council added the repairs "remain incredibly complex, challenging and therefore lengthy projects to undertake."

The southern section of the city walls, by Bridgegate, follows the line of previous medieval defences, although these have been repaired and re-built on numerous occasions over the centuries. The present gate replaced a previous medieval gate which comprised of a narrow arch flanked by two large towers. The current neoclassical Bridgegate Bridge was designed by Joseph Turner and constructed in 1781.