Residents, councillors and members of the Seven Fields Conservation Group gathered at Seven Fields Nature Reserve in Swindon to cut the ribbon on the refurbished footbridge, Swindon24 reported on 16 July 2026. Its report gives the date of the ceremony as 15 July.
Why does the bridge matter?
The bridge has a long local story, as Swindon24 tells it:
- The original bridge was destroyed in an arson attack in August 1994.
- Within weeks, donations from residents, Haydon Wick Parish Council and local supporters paid for a replacement.
- The new bridge was built in Cheney Manor by volunteers, including former railway workers, and installed at Seven Fields in 1995.
- Responsibility for the bridge passed to Swindon Borough Council in 2018.
- After years of discussions the council carried out a full refurbishment, replacing the ageing deck with a more durable surface.
Stanka Wilson, a Labour councillor for Haydon Wick, said: "After it was initially built, it got burned, and it really brought the community together."
Bill King, chairman of the Friends of Seven Fields, recalled 1994: "Quite a few of us were very despondent, but the local community rallied round."
What happens next?
The group hopes to secure funding for boardwalks to improve access to the reserve. The report does not give the cost of the refurbishment.
Source: Swindon24.