The Long (Iron) Bridge in Newtown was completed in 1826 and replaced an old wooden bridge. Today, the paintwork is in need of some TLC.

It is one of the iconic structures in town alongside the Old Church (St Mary’s), the Town Clock and Pryce Jones Warehouse.

I was therefore disappointed to read, tucked away almost unnoticed on page 5 of the County Times (7th July), that no funding is available for restorative work, although it appears there is more than enough money available for other projects such as Hafan Yr Afon, which appears to be little used, and the strange rolls of concrete on Trehafren Fields purporting to represent the towns textile history.

OTHER NEWS:

I am aware that some monies are only available for new projects but this leaves me to question why funds are not set aside for maintenance of existing heritage.

The latest scheme from the local authorities is a suspension bridge, sorry, an Active Travel Route, to link North and South on Canal Road. We already have the Cambrian Bridge for this purpose.

Let’s hope that for the Bicentennial (2026) of the Long Bridge, that funding will be available, maintaining something that the town should be proud of.
A Roberts, 
Newtown