April 14, 2023 1.00 pm This story is over 12 months old

Divers carry out underwater investigations on Lincoln’s Glory Hole

Footpath has been closed for two month

Divers have been investigating Lincoln’s Glory Hole on Friday as council officers explore how deep the damage has gone.

The historic walkway was closed in February after investigations found that fractured wooden beams and areas of the concrete bed had started to fail.

Currently the extent of the damage is unknown to Lincolnshire County Council, and the dive team carried out “fingertip searches” to understand what’s going on beneath the surface.

Fingertip searches were carried out by divers. | Image: Daniel Jaines

Results are expected in the next few weeks and will help the authority to come up with a solution to the issue.

Richard Fenwick, Head of Highways Assets at Lincolnshire County Council said: “It’s critical for us to understand what we can do going forward and understand the condition of the timber structure underneath.

“We’ve got a few options about what the repair might look like to be able to reinstate the suface of the footway but the design very much depends on the condition of the timber under the water.

Results will be known in the next few weeks. | Image: Daniel Jaines

“We’re optimistic but the reason we go to extremes such as this is just to make sure that we’re not taking any risks.

“We understand that pedestrians, businesses and property owners are affected by this and we want to get it open as soon as possible.”

The authority is also looking to further bolster security around the footpath after people were spotted risking their lives by squeezing through fencing.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Head of Highways Assets said he wanted to reopen the footpath as soon as possible. | Image: Daniel Jaines

New signage has now appeared with the Lincolnshire Police branding telling people that “Video surveillance cameras are in operation”.

Extra sandbags and barriers also look to have been added.


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