VOLUNTEERS have been doing their bit to preserve a traditional stone footbridge in the Yorkshire Dales.

They joined National Park Authority rangers to strip down the damaged arch on Usha Gap Bridge near Thwaite and rebuild it.

Access ranger Ian Broadwith said: "The bridge is more than 100-years-old and the centre had sunk and was in danger of collapse.

"The Dales Volunteers identified the need to repair it in a survey of the rights-of-way that they carry out every year."

He added: "It’s a very popular footpath and crosses a little tributary of the River Swale so we put up a temporary timber bridge in September, 2007, to keep the path open.

"We were going to do the repair work last year but the weather was so bad we couldn’t.

"It was quite a complicated job and we bedded the stones in with traditional lime and mortar so that it was in keeping with the age of the bridge."

To carry out the work the team had to build a wooden support – known as a former – that fitted underneath the bridge to allow them to dismantle and then rebuild the arch.

*The National Park Authority is responsible for the maintenance of more than 2,000kms of rights-of-way, including more than 800 bridges crossing streams, becks and rivers.

Last year the Dales Volunteers gave more than 6,000 days of work.

Generally, there are very few volunteer vacancies but, in the Northern Dales, there may be opportunities for one or two new people with practical skills. For further information contact Rae Lonsdale on 01756-751630 or e-mail volunteers@yorkshiredales.org.uk.