Derbyshire council agrees with campaigners to save Love Locks before Bakewell bridge revamp

Derbyshire council has confirmed it will be handing over thousands of commemorative Love Locks from the Bakewell Weir Bridge so they can be saved and displayed at a stately home as the authority prepares to repair and redesign the famous walkway which had become a tourist attraction.

The council has been urging people to remove their padlocks at the Love Locks Weir Footbridge, over the River Wye, before September 16, if they had wished to keep the mementos.

But it has now finalised an agreement to hand them over to the Save the Locks at Bakewell campaign group which aims to display them at nearby Thornbridge Hall.

A council spokesperson had stated: “A request came from the Save the Love Locks Facebook group for them to collect the locks that remain on the Weir Bridge on September 16, 2024, when the works start, with a view to the locks being displayed at a nearby venue close to Bakewell.

“So, when we start work, we intend to carefully remove any remaining Love Locks from the bridge, and give these to representatives of the Save the Love Locks community for safekeeping and display as soon as possible.”

The council added that it had tried to find alternatives to display the Love Locks in Bakewell after they had clearly become an attraction in the popular Peak District tourist town.

It had also stipulated that any Love Locks that were not reclaimed would be recycled – most likely to be melted down – with the proceeds to go to charity.

However, the owner of Thornbridge Hall, near the village of Great Longstone, and the Monsal Trail, near Bakewell, said the Love Locks can be relocated at the stately home.

Emma Harrison, owner of Thornbridge Hall, stepped in after she was contacted by the Save the Locks at Bakewell Facebook campaign group which has been liaising with the council for the locks to be removed and preserved.

The council responded by stating that it was happy to look into whether a few options for the Love Locks are possible.

It has stated that it intends to change the design of the bridge so that people will no longer be able to attach locks which is necessary for public safety because of reports of people grazing their arms and legs on the locks at the narrow pedestrian bridge.

Thornbridge Hall plans to create a fence at the stately home with wires where the love locks can be attached next to a cafe and near a free car park so walkers and cyclists can get to the estate from the Monsal Trail.

The Save the Locks at Bakewell campaigners, including founder Richard Young, claim there are as many as 40,000 Love Locks and they had been in discussions with the council to secure the final agreement for them to be handed over to the campaign group

Derbyshire County Council’s highways team said on the campaign group’s Facebook page: “We’ve been moved by the many personal stories and comments people have shared about the significance of the love locks.”  

The highways team spokesperson added: “We will carefully remove the love locks from the bridge and give them to Mr Richard Young and other supporters of the Save the Love Locks Facebook group to plan a way forward for their display with the community. 

“We do not want to stand in the way of the generous offer to display the existing love locks nearby and are pleased they’ve been able to find a new home.”  

The council stated the 25-year-old footbridge is showing signs of corrosion on the steel structure and there is wear-and-tear on the walkway so during essential repairs it will be closed for safety reasons but a signed diversion route will be in place from car parks and the town centre.  

Repairs, which are expected to take place for up to four weeks from September 16, have been timed after the school summer holidays to minimise disruption and to give people time to remove the Love Locks.  

Work will include treating rust, repainting, securing an anti-slip glass fibre walkway, and attaching new tubular railings to replace wires that had been used to attach the Love Locks.  

A council spokesperson stated: “The thicker diameter of the tubes will prevent locks being attached to the bridge in the future, making maintenance of the structure much easier and improving public safety by reducing the risk of any further grazes and cuts caused by protruding locks.”  

Anyone still wishing to make other arrangements for their Love Locks can remove them by Sunday, September 15.  

The Love Locks had started to be attached to the bridge by couples and loved ones in 2012 and the tradition continued with many commemorating special events and anniversaries, and using the mementos to remember those they love and hold dear.