Tony Barber, of Exeter Road, Ivybridge, writes:

I was interested to read of the plans for a circular walk, Gazette, January 29, to go from Harford Road, via the bottom of the Cole Lane estate, under the viaduct and across the river by a reinstated footbridge, and down through Longtimber Woods. I wish the project ­success.

The abutments to the former footbridge, just above the viaduct, do indeed still exist and are easily seen. And no doubt, with suitable checks and strengthening, they could ­support a new footbridge if one were planned, although any new bridge would presumably need to meet modern construction and safety requirements, while the need for maintenance should not be forgotten.

At the present time, not only is the land on the far – east – side of the river in private hands, but there is, to my knowledge, no public footpath or other right of way along this riverbank.

It seems that Stowford Mill had right of access to the intake to the leat, but did not own the land, and it might have been helpful to establish ownership before publicising plans involving access as it will clearly involve agreement with the landowner concerned.

It seems probable that the bridge was there for the ­convenience of residents of the Stowford and Lukesland estates, who could among other things gain access to both the station and the town.

In 1929 the two estates were sold and broken up, and as Louise Ryan relates in her book, when she and her ­husband bought Stowford in 1940, for £5,000, it included ‘four acres of Stowford Wood down to the Erme to the base of the viaduct’.

This is now more than 70 years ago and Mrs Ryan wrote in the 1970s, having passed Stowford on to the Royal Agricultural Society of England. But presumably the land adjacent to the bridge remains part of the Stowford Estate or its successors.

I have included a postcard of the outdoor swimming pool in Longtimber Woods, a short walk above the remains of the old footbridge.

This was originally a reservoir for the town, with an inlet just below Treneman’s Pool.

After the new reservoir was built at Harford, it later became a swimming pool, subsequently repaired by US troops stationed in Ivybridge during the Second World War.

There are still local people who can remember swimming there, but apparently there was a persistent problem with leaves.

An extension of the planned walk might well take in this area, perhaps.