A heritage railway has assured visitors that it's business as usual, despite a recent bus crash forcing the closure of a historic bridge.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is reminding visitors that the station, village and all of its businesses are open and operating as usual.
Grosmont remains fully accessible by road via the A169, and by train, with NYMR services running as per its timetable.
The North York Moors National Park Authority has been working with North Yorkshire Council to reopen Grosmont Bridge following the road traffic accident.
Five people were rescued when a bus crashed off the bridge on Barnard’s Road in Grosmont, near Whitby, at about 1.40pm on Saturday, August 3.
Police said the driver and passengers escaped serious injury after the bus fell about 30ft and was left suspended over a shallow river.
The bus was recovered using a crane and the area was clear by 10pm, but the damaged bridge remains closed.
The bridge is an 18th Century grade II listed structure maintained by North Yorkshire Council and, due to its special status, careful restoration and re-building work needs to be undertaken after the accident demolished the stone parapet wall.
With the winter months approaching and a 16-mile diversion proposed, negotiations have taken place between the National Park Authority’s Planning Department and North Yorkshire Council’s Highways and Transportation Department for a semi-permanent breeze block parapet wall to be built.
This will allow the bridge to reopen much quicker - the estimated time being in the next two months - with proper stone restoration work done in spring 2025.
Annabel Longfield-Reeve, senior heritage and conservation officer at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said: “This three-arch sandstone bridge spans the River Esk and dates from around 1700. It’s an important historic feature of Grosmont and indeed the wider National Park, but principally it serves as an essential transport link for local communities of the Esk Valley.
“For this reason, the priority is to ensure the bridge is once again made safe for vehicles and pedestrians, with proper restoration by skilled stonemasons taking place at a later point.”
Richard Marr, North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager, said: “We appreciate the inconvenience that the closure of the road is having on the local community and visitors to Grosmont.
“We are now liaising with the North York Moors National Park to install a temporary wall, which will enable us to reopen the road while we source new stone. At this time, we can’t provide timescales of when this will be, but we will update the public when we know more.”
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Laura Strangeway, CEO of NYMR, said: "The recent bus crash was a shock to everyone who works and lives in Grosmont, but we’re relieved no one was seriously hurt, and that the village remains very much open to visitors.
“Whether you are here for a scenic train journey, a delightful meal on our much-loved Pullman Dining services, or to explore the village’s shops, rest assured that we are open and ready to make your visit special."
For more information about services and updates, visit the North Yorkshire Moors Railway website at www.nymr.co.uk
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