WORK is underway on a new Exmoor river bridge close to the famous Tarr Steps clapper crossing which dates to the Bronze Age.

The £120,000 Great Bradley Bridge will provide a secure and sustainable route for walkers and horse riders across the River Barle on the Two Moors Way between Tarr Steps and Withypool.

An Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) spokesperson said: “It will also offer better protection to local wildlife and offer a boost to tourism in the area.”

The Two Moors Way has become unsafe at the bridge site due to erosion caused by flooding.

Contractors have started foundation work for the bridge and abutments are being put in on site, which are the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam to support its superstructure.

The necessary footpath closures have been put in place to allow the work to proceed.

A recycled steel bridge structure given by Devon County Council has also been delivered on site ready to be installed, with the timber structure following in the next few weeks.

Great Bradley Bridge is expected to be completed in time for Exmoor Day in October and the ENPA’s official 70th birthday.

The Tarr Steps 17-span, 55-yard clapper bridge is the longest in the country and is made entirely from large stone slabs and boulders.

But it has suffered frequent storm damage over the centuries resulting in expensive repairs and in January last year saw a number of stones swept away, causing its closure for six months.