Section of river wall near Wapping Wharf collapses into water

A section of river wall supporting Cumberland Road in Bristol has collapsed into the water close to Gaol Ferry Bridge.

The damaged wall on the New Cut is just along from a retaining wall that collapsed in January 2020.

That section was next to the Chocolate Path which closed in 2017 due to subsidence and is due to finally reopen in May.

After Twitter account ‘Simply Southville’ posted a photograph of the crumbling wall on the New Cut, concerned local residents took to social media to comment on the damage.

“The current repairs have now taken longer to complete than the time it took to dig the whole New Cut using spades and wheelbarrows,” joked John Holland.

Hannah Jones said: “It’s looked precarious down there for some time. Nothing seems to be done til it’s too late though.”

Stephen McCarthy added: “And the council will leave it like that until it completely falls into the river, then spend even more millions of £s to fix it instead of just doing it now.”

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “The river wall along the New Cut is regularly monitored and any potential issues are investigated to inform our ongoing work to maintain this vital part of the city’s infrastructure.

“This specific location has been surveyed and forms part of the New Cut River Asset Condition Survey which continues to identify where repair works and investment need to be prioritised.

“This work forms part of our multi-million pound investment in the harbour infrastructure to deliver vital repairs and refurbishment to the ageing estate.”

The damaged river wall is close to Gaol Ferry Bridge, which crosses the New Cut and connects Southville with Wapping Wharf.

The 100-year-old bridge was closed to pedestrians and cyclists in August 2022 and although Bristol City Council said the work to repair it would take between six and nine months, it could be longer.

Its closure has had a devastating impact on trade for businesses either side of the bridge, particularly in Wapping Wharf’s Cargo development.