New footbridge links up either side of Barnes railway bridge

A new footbridge has opened that has bypassed a long detour to walk along the riverside on the northern side of Barnes railway bridge.

The Thames Path runs along the banks of the Thames from source to mouth, but at Barnes bridge, the north side of the path takes a substantial detour away from the riverside.

That was because there was no space under the railway for a footpath — so a new bridge has been constructed that sits on piles drilled into the Thames itself. Known officially as the Dukes Meadow Pedestrian Footbridge, it opened, after a bit of a delay, last week.

The delay of a few months from the planned opening last November was in part due to some final snagging issues, but also some extra work to dissuade pigeons from using it as target practice when they roosted under the railway bridge.

There’s still work to be done at either end, but the main bridge is open, and proving to be popular with local walkers, some joggers, and although officially banned, some cyclists. The cycling ban is because the footbridge would have had to be wider and taller to be safe, and that was unaffordable.

Design-wise, it’s fairly utilitarian, a long steel snake that wraps around the riverside to slide underneath the arches of the railway bridge. There are lights under the handrails, which came on when a heavy downpour of rain darkened the midday sun.

It also gives some pretty nice views of the railway bridge both from the approach and also the walk under the bridge itself, but the main benefit is avoiding the previous long and rather unpleasant 10-minute detour away from the river.

The construction work, which got underway in September 2021, was carried out by Knights Brown.