Bailey Bridge over the Kempisch Canal

You will notice this bridge on your bike tour along the Kempen canals. It is a so-called Bailey bridge, one of the last of its kind from the Second World War.

Bailey bridges are military, emergency or makeshift bridges that can be assembled from pre-assembled individual components. They do not require any special equipment or devices to set up and can be easily transported. They are named after Donald Coleman Bailey, an English army employee. Model bridges were his hobby and so he showed his superiors how they were constructed.

a piece of antique, beautiful in nature

At the beginning of WWII the original bridge was blown up. When liberating our country, the English replaced it with a military bridge designed by D.C. Bailey. The Bailey Bridge, which still proves its rock solid every day.