A popular woodland walk will be out of action for a while after a footbridge was damaged.

The swing bridge across the River Lynher in Stara Woods was broken when river levels swelled dramatically last week, causing a tree to be undermined.

The bridge, installed in 2012, provides a popular crossing from the eastern to western side of the woods but was badly damaged as the tree fell across it, and will be out of action until repairs have been made.

“On Saturday a small team of volunteers from the Friends of Stara Woods was able to cut the bridge free, but there has been substantial damage which will have to be fully assessed and repaired before the bridge can be brought back into operation,” said the Friends group.

“During the lockdown this year, there was a big increase in visitors to the woods as they became a welcome refuge where visitors and young families were able to enjoy an area clear of crowds. The damage to the bridge will greatly limit access, depriving visitors of about two thirds of the woodlands.”

Stara Woods has recently become a registered charity, Friends of Stara Woods CIO, and relies entirely on voluntary subscriptions.

The cost of repairing the bridge will have to come from the charity’s small reserve, say the Friends.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation towards the repair of the bridge should contact Anne Hughes at [email protected] or on 01579 362068.