The Millward Bridge - 1984

 In the early 1980's the Town Council purchased from British Rail a section of land beside the River Goyt known locally as Goytside. Recognising the Centenary of the Union Road Bridge was at hand, Councillor Martin Doughty suggested that a fitting project to mark the event would be to install a foot-bridge in the Torrs, spanning the River Sett and joining the lands at Goytside to the Torrs.

The scheme moved a step closer when Mrs Margery Millward agreed that this would be a fitting memorial to her late husband Dr Leslie Millward, who had been the driving force behind the reopening of the Torrs some ten years before.

The scheme proved a great success and on the 7th of June 1984 following a ceremonial reopening of the Union Road Bridge the Millward Bridge was officially opened by Mrs Millward.

 Speech delivered by councillor Martin Doughty on the occasion of the official opening of the Millward Memorial Bridge:
"The Victorians bequeathed the town of New Mills, this unique area which we know as 'The Torrs', and it is perhaps an irony that the building of the high level bridge one hundred years ago was, in part, responsible for accelerating the decline of the industry which had located here deep in the gorge.

 "With the decline of industrial activity here, the whole area fell into disrepair, became overgrown and virtually impassable.”  It was the efforts and foresight above all of Doctor Millward which led to the re-opening to the public of the Torrs some ten years ago.
If the Doctor was here with us now, I hope that he would similarly consider that the enhancement work which has been carried out in the Torrs in the last twelve months centred around this footbridge and new access and the plans and proposals which we have for the next year or two in and around the Torrs are effort and enterprise being put in to effect.

"We live in times of difficulty, particularly for young people, with high levels of unemployment, making greater demands for leisure facilities.”  It is fitting therefore that the bulk of the enhancement work in the Torrs including the construction and erection of this footbridge has been carried out by a team mainly of young people, all of whom have been unemployed for at least six months, and in some cases twelve months, before they came to work on the scheme. They are trainees with Peak Community Programmes, most of them are from New Mills and have done an absolutely marvellous job for the Town Council for the townspeople and visitors alike. On behalf of everyone then, a big Thank You and of course we have lots more work and projects for you to keep Peak Community Programmes active in New Mills for many months to come.

"The bridge is, of course the centre piece of the work that has been carried out in the last twelve months down here and thanks must go to Peter Pilsbury form the surveyor's department at Derbyshire County Council for this tremendous design of an oak beamed bridge.  It was re-designed at least five times as the Water Authority kept moving the river when they put a new sever through here less than twelve months ago. And to Gregory's of Matlock who fabricated this most unusual bridge and went to considerable trouble, not the least being the search for a large enough oak tree which was eventually located in Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire and the delivery of the ton and a quarter beams which gave Kevin Howard of Peak Community Programmes some headaches, but in the end dropped very smoothly indeed 80 odd feet from off the Queens Bridge.

"Just like the high level bridge 100 years ago provided an important new link for industry, so this new low level bridge provides for leisure, a new bankside walk to link not only the Sett Valley Trail via the Torrs with the upstream section of the River Goyt, but the possibility of linking on downstream along the Goyt to the work currently programmed by Greater Manchester and Stockport Councils from Vernon Park in Stockport via the Etherow Country Park and Marple on to the Derbyshire boundary.

"Over the next twelve months, besides flood lighting the area where we are all standing and providing some footpath lighting on the important link from Torr Top car Park, and providing much needed signing in and around the Torrs, we shall be looking to develop the routes in and out of the Torrs on the Goyt to make that long-distance leisure route a real possibility.

"None of this, of course, could have been achieved without that essential commodity, finance Less than 40% of the cost of the work has actually been funded by the Town Council from the rates.”  Most of the work, in fact, has enjoyed the maximum grant available from the Countryside Commission - 50% - and it is pleasing to note that the commission, with its role in promoting recreation should think so highly of enhancement work in and around the Torrs.

"A modest contribution too was received from North West Water Authority in recognition of the disruption of their sewage work in the Torrs, but I think you will agree that what the water authority can best give New Mills is not financial, is not money, it is a couple of clean unpolluted rivers so we can get maximum enjoyment from this unique area.

"Last of all, in making up the total of eight thousand pounds for the programme of work to date, are of course the contributions from the townspeople to the Millward Memorial Fund. Twelve months ago, the Town Council set a target for the fund of one thousand pounds.. With the money that we know is already in the bank, in the Town Hall and what we expect to find in the many collecting tins around the town, I am pleased to report that that target has probably already been exceeded.

"That, I am sure, Mrs. Millward, demonstrates the fondness and respect with which people of New Mills remember the Doctor.  I hope and trust, Mrs. Millward, that you find this bridge a fitting memorial from the people of New Mills.

 

 

 

This site is listed in the British Towns and Villages Encyclopaedia of Great Britain and we can be found in the entry for New Mills