A PLEA to preserve an historic Lakeland packhorse bridge has been made by a concerned villager.

Doreen Anderson, of Coniston, says that "beautiful little" Shepherds Bridge is slowly falling down following flood damage in 2009.

She is anxious to see the bridge repaired, feeling that it has become "a forgotten entity" with nobody to claim ownership.

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The arched stone bridge spans Yewdale Beck, near Coniston's football pitch. It is crossed by walkers en route to Tarn Hows, Little Langdale and Tilberthwaite, says Mrs Anderson, and also features at the start of day two of the Cumbria Way.

"If we have any more flood water the bridge will go," she said. "It's part of our heritage and it's such a beautiful little bridge. I'm sure Hunter Davies voted it one of his favourite bridges in the Lake District."

The National Trust told the Gazette it was contributing "a sum of money" towards repairing the bridge parapet "as a goodwill gesture" to reflect its right of access across the bridge. The trust said it owns land surrounding a private residence nearby, but not the bridge itself.

A trust spokesperson said: "The land is tenanted, and therefore, in order for our tenant to facilitate safe access to the land, we have applied for planning permission for an agricultural track to be laid beyond the boundary of the private residence. This will enable the tenant to move stock and to mow the grass."

Meanwhile, Jennie Whythe, communications administrator at the Lake District National Park Authority, told the Gazette: “We have spent a huge amount of time on this issue over the years. We have also brought together all the parties involved in an attempt to resolve it and there is a joint project to repair the parapet - this project has been stimulated by us bringing everyone together.

“Our legal responsibility is to ensure that there is a crossing for walkers – and the bridge has been deemed safe for this purpose. Whilst naturally we would like to see the existing bridge retained because of its looks and historical interest, the cost of rebuilding stone arch bridges like this is prohibitive, and at present, with no-one agreeing that they own the bridge, it is unlikely that this will happen in the near future. It is not listed.”