RoutesHiking trails & RoutesUnited KingdomEnglandWest Midlands RegionAlveley
Highley and Alveley Footbridge – Route 45 Mercian Way Signpost loop from Highley
RoutesHiking trails & RoutesUnited KingdomEnglandWest Midlands RegionAlveley
Highley and Alveley Footbridge – Route 45 Mercian Way Signpost loop from Highley
Easy
9
hikers
Highley and Alveley Footbridge – Route 45 Mercian Way Signpost loop from Highley
01:44
6.15km
130m
Hiking
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Waypoints
A
Start point
Parking
Get Directions
1
588 m
Alveley Colliery Bridge (Miners' Bridge)
Highlight • Monument
The old Alveley Colliery bridge was given a temporary reprieve back in September, when engineers decided that it was too risky to work on its replacement over the winter. Thus it seems likely that it will survive until this August. There is perhaps some irony in the fact that back in 1936/7 it was built in under a year and work continued all winter with no serious mishaps. The key to this was the way in which it was built, as a “balanced cantilever”. Essentially, this means that it was designed as a see-saw. The bridge has three arches; a large one in the middle over the river and two smaller ones either side to connect with the access roads. These are the “land arches”. The bridge was designed so that all the weight rests on the two piers that are either side of the river. The land arches run from these to walls that support the access roads and hold back the approach embankments; the abutment walls. However, these were designed so that they did not carry any of the weight of the bridge, they simply supported the approach roads. The key part of the structure was the two parallel reinforced concrete beams that ran continuously over the piers from Highley to Alveley and which supported the deck (the surface of the bridge over which people walked). As long as the reinforcing held, the bridge was safe.
The bridge led an uneventful life until the 1960’s. However, the Severn Valley is a notoriously difficult area for buildings. The ground is unstable, frequently slipping towards the river. This had started to take its toll on the bridge; the pressure of the ground was forcing the piers into the river. In addition, the abutment walls had cracks and the deck of the bridge was worn and needed replacing. Thus in 1967 the Coal Board decided it needed major repairs.
The main work was to stabilise the base of the piers. Coffer dams were constructed and the ground was built up to help the piers resist the thrust from the side of the banks. This part of the work passed without incident. The abutment walls were demolished and work started on rebuilding them. Again, this went smoothly, although the bridge apparently flexed visibly when heavy machinery was working on it whilst the abutment walls were missing. The deck was removed with pneumatic picks. Unfortunately, over the Highley land arch, the picks went in too deep and exposed a joint between the reinforcing rods in the beams that supported the deck. The joints failed spectacularly, the concrete cracked and the beams fell several feet at their landward ends until they came to rest on the partially rebuilt abutment wall. It is believed this incident caused a certain amount of panic at Coal Board Area HQ. Ladders were rigged up to allow men to pass over the dropped beams; without this, an entire shift would have been trapped on the Alveley side of the river. The beams were lifted back into more or less their correct place by jacks and the abutment was hastily rebuilt to support them. There was still a difference of a few inches between the top of the beam and the level of the approach road from Highley but this was made up by increasing the deck thickness with concrete from 6" to around 9". The repaired crack was carefully monitored but there is no suggestion that it has moved.
The excitement with the deck replacement meant that the repairs were not finished until October 1968. They meant that the bridge was no longer a balanced cantilever. By the time they were complete, the colliery was in its death-throes, closing in January 1969. Thus ended one of the less cost-effective jobs undertaken by the Coal Board in the West Midlands. It may however be suspected that the Area Engineer’s office was pleased to be rid of the bridge with its now unorthodox structure.
The bridge led an uneventful life until the 1960’s. However, the Severn Valley is a notoriously difficult area for buildings. The ground is unstable, frequently slipping towards the river. This had started to take its toll on the bridge; the pressure of the ground was forcing the piers into the river. In addition, the abutment walls had cracks and the deck of the bridge was worn and needed replacing. Thus in 1967 the Coal Board decided it needed major repairs.
The main work was to stabilise the base of the piers. Coffer dams were constructed and the ground was built up to help the piers resist the thrust from the side of the banks. This part of the work passed without incident. The abutment walls were demolished and work started on rebuilding them. Again, this went smoothly, although the bridge apparently flexed visibly when heavy machinery was working on it whilst the abutment walls were missing. The deck was removed with pneumatic picks. Unfortunately, over the Highley land arch, the picks went in too deep and exposed a joint between the reinforcing rods in the beams that supported the deck. The joints failed spectacularly, the concrete cracked and the beams fell several feet at their landward ends until they came to rest on the partially rebuilt abutment wall. It is believed this incident caused a certain amount of panic at Coal Board Area HQ. Ladders were rigged up to allow men to pass over the dropped beams; without this, an entire shift would have been trapped on the Alveley side of the river. The beams were lifted back into more or less their correct place by jacks and the abutment was hastily rebuilt to support them. There was still a difference of a few inches between the top of the beam and the level of the approach road from Highley but this was made up by increasing the deck thickness with concrete from 6" to around 9". The repaired crack was carefully monitored but there is no suggestion that it has moved.
The excitement with the deck replacement meant that the repairs were not finished until October 1968. They meant that the bridge was no longer a balanced cantilever. By the time they were complete, the colliery was in its death-throes, closing in January 1969. Thus ended one of the less cost-effective jobs undertaken by the Coal Board in the West Midlands. It may however be suspected that the Area Engineer’s office was pleased to be rid of the bridge with its now unorthodox structure.
Tip by
2
595 m
Highley and Alveley Footbridge
Highlight • River
The Highley and Alveley footbridge is a replacement bridge crossing over the River Severn between Highley and Alveley in Shropshire. Arup designed the bridge for Mowlem Construction Ltd with Ivor King Piling Ltd installing the piles. The bridge is a three span continuous reinforced concrete footbridge and was completed in 2006. The main central span is approximately 48m with side spans each of 19.5m, skewed at 30° and full height abutments. Piers and abutments are located on the banks of the river.
The stratigraphy generally comprised Made Ground (mainly colliery spoil) overlying alluvial sands, silts and clays overlying a thin layer of River Terrace Deposits of clayey sandy gravel. Bedrock comprised interbedded mudstones and siltstones of the Upper Coal Measures. Both piers and the Alveley bank abutment (shown above) are founded on steel piles. However, the Highley abutment is founded on landslipped material which may potentially move, so in order not to attract loads from this material, it was founded at shallow depth.
The stratigraphy generally comprised Made Ground (mainly colliery spoil) overlying alluvial sands, silts and clays overlying a thin layer of River Terrace Deposits of clayey sandy gravel. Bedrock comprised interbedded mudstones and siltstones of the Upper Coal Measures. Both piers and the Alveley bank abutment (shown above) are founded on steel piles. However, the Highley abutment is founded on landslipped material which may potentially move, so in order not to attract loads from this material, it was founded at shallow depth.
Tip by
3
2.23 km
St Mary's Church, Highley
Highlight • Monument
Highley Church is the oldest building in the village. The earliest parts were built when the creation of the Domesday book was still in living memory, in the early 1100s. The Normans built most of the present chancel and nave . Although within 150 years there were complaints that the building was falling down, much of this early work does survive, especially some of the windows and doors.
In the 1300’s a series of bad harvests and epidemics devastated much of England. Shropshire took several generations to recover and it was not until the next century that major work again took place on the church. The tower was put up, the walls were raised and finally, perhaps in the early 1500’s, a fine new wooden ceiling was installed. These events took place against the background of the Wars of the Roses; Highley belonged to the powerful Mortimer family and eventually became the property of the victorious Tudor kings. In spite of the violence of those times there must have been prosperous farmers and gentry in Highley who could spend money on the church.
Over the following centuries the roof was altered, the interior was remodelled, a gallery was fitted and removed and the church has been repaired and restored. Every age has left its mark. The church can be reached by a walk of about 15 minutes, up the road from the Station (see the Guided Walk leaflets). It is usually open and visitors can explore its history in more detail, or simply enjoy its tranquillity.
In the 1300’s a series of bad harvests and epidemics devastated much of England. Shropshire took several generations to recover and it was not until the next century that major work again took place on the church. The tower was put up, the walls were raised and finally, perhaps in the early 1500’s, a fine new wooden ceiling was installed. These events took place against the background of the Wars of the Roses; Highley belonged to the powerful Mortimer family and eventually became the property of the victorious Tudor kings. In spite of the violence of those times there must have been prosperous farmers and gentry in Highley who could spend money on the church.
Over the following centuries the roof was altered, the interior was remodelled, a gallery was fitted and removed and the church has been repaired and restored. Every age has left its mark. The church can be reached by a walk of about 15 minutes, up the road from the Station (see the Guided Walk leaflets). It is usually open and visitors can explore its history in more detail, or simply enjoy its tranquillity.
Tip by
4
2.68 km
Miners’ Memorial Sculpture
Highlight • Monument
Sculpture of miner standing in colliery lift cage under a clock tower in the former colliery. Sculpture created by David Howorth 1999.
Tip by
5
3.98 km
Highley Sandstone Cutting
Highlight • Gorge
The cutting is through beds of Highley Sandstone. They were deposited in the river channels on swampy deltas 310 million years ago. Their characteristic grey-green tinge indicates deposition in oxygen-poor conditions of a humid swamp. This is in contrast to the red Alveley Sandstone, seen earlier, formed in the oxygen-rich environment of a semi-arid desert.
The pronounced 'bedding planes' running almost horizontally across the rock face, represent breaks in deposition. 'Cross-bedded' or 'current-bedded' layers are inclined at angles to each other.
This cross cutting relationship is a result of
changing directions in the river current that deposited the sediments, in the same way as changes in wind direction caused the dune-bedding seen in the Bridgnorth Sandstone
The pronounced 'bedding planes' running almost horizontally across the rock face, represent breaks in deposition. 'Cross-bedded' or 'current-bedded' layers are inclined at angles to each other.
This cross cutting relationship is a result of
changing directions in the river current that deposited the sediments, in the same way as changes in wind direction caused the dune-bedding seen in the Bridgnorth Sandstone
Tip by
6
4.08 km
Song of Steam Trains Sculpture
Highlight • Monument
This sculpture forms part of the Highley Sculpture Trail, commissioned by the Highley Initiative.
THE TWO BOOKENDS' represent duality - Top' and 'Bottom' ends of the village which joined to form Highley as it exists now; two mines (Alveley and Highley), two sides of a team game and two types of sandstone (red and grey) quarried in Medieval Highley. A chase cuts through the panel linking the two ends like a tunnel through a mine or a bridge between communities.
THE PANEL OF CERAMIC TILES depicts designs done by children and young people of Highley and how the village 'seems' to them, a memory map in poems and drawings. The selected images were arranged into the composition by the Artist and faithfully reproduced into hand-made tiles by local ceramic artist Elaine Gregory. The smaller tiles are Elaine's own designs depicting the local flora which inspires her.
'HOW IT SEEMS, HOW IT SEAMS' is the song, or mantra, of the steam trains I heard in a dream. A mantra is a cyclical phrase which, when repeated in meditation, transcends the mind from the mundane to the philosophical and spiritual level.
SEVEN RECTANGLES cut out from the ceramic panel allude to the 'Seven Sisters' a row of 400 year old trees located by the Old Vicarage and shaped into giant candelabras. Only four now remain. The poem 'The Old Tree' by Carly Reynolds featured on one of the tiles is a poignant reminder of loss. These rectangular voids are also represented in the seven pavement trail bronze plaques that meander up through the village- the 'seam'.
THE STEEL GIRDERS represent failway
tracks.
ARTIST & DESIGNER SARANJIT BIRDI
THE TWO BOOKENDS' represent duality - Top' and 'Bottom' ends of the village which joined to form Highley as it exists now; two mines (Alveley and Highley), two sides of a team game and two types of sandstone (red and grey) quarried in Medieval Highley. A chase cuts through the panel linking the two ends like a tunnel through a mine or a bridge between communities.
THE PANEL OF CERAMIC TILES depicts designs done by children and young people of Highley and how the village 'seems' to them, a memory map in poems and drawings. The selected images were arranged into the composition by the Artist and faithfully reproduced into hand-made tiles by local ceramic artist Elaine Gregory. The smaller tiles are Elaine's own designs depicting the local flora which inspires her.
'HOW IT SEEMS, HOW IT SEAMS' is the song, or mantra, of the steam trains I heard in a dream. A mantra is a cyclical phrase which, when repeated in meditation, transcends the mind from the mundane to the philosophical and spiritual level.
SEVEN RECTANGLES cut out from the ceramic panel allude to the 'Seven Sisters' a row of 400 year old trees located by the Old Vicarage and shaped into giant candelabras. Only four now remain. The poem 'The Old Tree' by Carly Reynolds featured on one of the tiles is a poignant reminder of loss. These rectangular voids are also represented in the seven pavement trail bronze plaques that meander up through the village- the 'seam'.
THE STEEL GIRDERS represent failway
tracks.
ARTIST & DESIGNER SARANJIT BIRDI
Tip by
7
4.16 km
View of Horses on Countryside Path
Highlight • Trail
8
5.58 km
Route 45 Mercian Way Signpost
Highlight • Monument
B
6.15 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
2.78 km
1.54 km
1.03 km
564 m
220 m
Surfaces
2.20 km
2.10 km
777 m
773 m
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Highest point (110 m)
Lowest point (20 m)
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Sunday 12 July
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