One last obstacle to restoration

THERE is just one last obstacle to the restoration of the Driffield Navigation—the Skerne  Road Bridge, and fund raising has started to enable it to be replaced.

It is estimated that £1.5m will be needed to replace the fixed road bridge with a lift bridge, which will then restore the waterway between Hull and Driffield for the first time in more than 60 years.

Volunteers have been restoring the Driffield Navigation since the 1970s and have now completed work on all the locks including Snakeholme, pictured.

This means the canal is fully operational but without access to the Humber owing to the obstruction of Skerne Road Bridge, which is just a few hundred yards away from the river lock.

Although the bridge is the responsibility of East Riding Council, the Driffield Navigation Trust has pledged to raise money for the scheme.

The bridge is a a major obstruction, but once it is replaced it will allow boat traffic to navigate from Driffield to Hull and out to sea, via the Hull and Humber.

The trust has already successfully replaced one bridge on the canal, at Brigham, with a swing bridge.