A ROTTING wooden footbridge which runs from Medmenham to the Thames riverbank needs total replacement due to deterioration.

Medmenham Parish Council has appealed to local residents, businesses, Thames swimmers, and river-walk enthusiasts for financial support for the Ferry Lane's footbridge's replacement, estimated to cost £9,000. 

This year, the council has already spent £20,000 on riverbank restoration near the Ferry Memorial due to severe erosion, resulting in depleted reserves, explained Chair of Medmenham Parish Council, Mr Dring.

Therefore, the council now relies on community help to raise the required funds for replacing the bridge.

Mr Dring emphasised that by meeting the £9,000 target to substitute the bridge, locals and visitors would walk down Ferry Lane and alongside the Thames.

A fundraising page was created on Thursday, November 24, with £735 raised in just 24 hours.

A number of bridges in Buckinghamshire have come under light due to repair works needing to be carried out.

The Temple Footbridge, part of the Thames Path that provides a crossing upstream of Temple Lock near Marlow into Berkshire, was closed by the Environment Agency (EA) in May after it was deemed unsafe for pedestrians earlier this year.

Back in May, it was revealed that the structure had experienced rapid deterioration and Marlow resident Steve Tilbury, who spoke to crewmembers tasked with putting barriers around the bridge, told the Free Press that part of the structure had “completely fallen away”, leaving a “sizeable hole” that posed a serious risk to anyone crossing on foot.