Wool Bridge is looking "meaty" after work to repair the Grade II listed structure was completed, following a partial collapse in January.

Dorset County Council announced the completion of the repairs on Twitter and used this opportunity to make a joke of the recent Vegan Wool controversy.

The tweet read: "Look away veggie lovers, #Wool bridge is now looking meaty. The new surface was laid yesterday in some pretty grim weather. Special shout out to Geoff & Marcus for sticking it out and even getting the bollards in."

The bridge was in dire need of repairs after the natural erosion caused by the river had caused a large crack to form in the surface of the bridge and part of the wall to slip into the water.

Initial emergency work included installing forty bags of gabion stone to support the collapsed section of the bridge before the vegetation was cleared.

A dam was then installed to drain water away from the area of bridge in need of repair, and allow the recovery of the stonework from the river.

With the temporary footbridge in place, the bridge was closed and repairs got underway, including:

  • removing fallen stone from the riverbed
  • repairing the foundations of the failed section of wall
  • building reinforcement concrete arch and wall
  • cladding arch and wall in original brickwork recovered from river, as well as some new stone from the Purbeck quarry

The bridge reopened to the public in October, though repair work continued to the end of November.