Residents, councillors and members of Seven Fields Conservation Group gathered on Tuesday (15 July) to officially reopen the refurbished footbridge at Seven Fields Nature Reserve.
The bridge has become much more than a crossing over the reserve. Since the original structure was destroyed in an arson attack in August 1994, it has stood as a symbol of the determination of local people to protect one of Swindon’s best-loved green spaces.
Labour councillor for Haydon Wick, Stanka Wilson, said the bridge’s history is what makes the reopening so significant.
“After it was initially built, it got burned, and it really brought the community together.”
She explained that residents quickly raised the money needed to replace the bridge, adding that more than 30 years later the bridge continues to unite the community.
“Today, again, we’re bringing the community together and celebrating the refurbishment of the bridge.”
During the ceremony, the chairman of the Friends of Seven Fields, Bill King, reflected on the events of 1994, recalling the disappointment felt when the original bridge was destroyed.
“Quite a few of us were very despondent, but the local community rallied round.”
Within weeks, donations from residents, Haydon Wick Parish Council and local supporters made it possible to build a replacement. The new bridge was constructed in Cheney Manor by volunteers, including former railway workers, before being installed at Seven Fields in 1995.
Over the following decades, the bridge required regular maintenance before responsibility passed to Swindon Borough Council in 2018. After years of discussions, the council carried out a full refurbishment, replacing the ageing deck with a more durable surface designed to withstand years of use.
f praised the work carried out by the council and said he was delighted with the finished result.
Looking back over more than three decades, he also reflected on how the nature reserve has changed since the bridge’s foundations were laid in 1992. He said warmer, wetter winters have increased erosion around the entrance to the bridge, and the group hopes to secure funding for boardwalks to improve access in the future.
The ceremony concluded with the cutting of the ribbon, marking not just the reopening of a bridge, but another chapter in a community story that has continued for more than 30 years.
