Tacky or cute? Not all are sad that Peak District's love locks have gone
Earlier this month, dozens of people flocked to a Peak District town that has long been the home of thousands of so-called 'love locks', to retrieve their long-lost padlocks. The padlocks over the Weir Bridge in Bakewell have been gradually attached to the bridge over the last decade - since 2012 - and commemorate special events, anniversaries and relationships, often engraved with names, dates and places.
A deadline was put in place for people to retrieve the locks ahead before Derbyshire County Council workers began removing the locks on Monday (September 16). The council first announced that it wanted to refurbish the bridge back in 2021 but it was postponed to allow interested groups a chance to find an alternative venue for the love locks.
Many suggestions and ideas were made but, eventually, the council announced in July that work needed to begin imminently and gave people a couple of months to remove them - otherwise they were due to be recycled. Just as the council were to begin removing the locks - which hold sentimental value for many - an offer was made by Emma and Jim Harrison of Thornbridge Hall.
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They offered to house the locks permanently in the grounds of the hall after they were cut off, giving a new lease of life for the locks - and the memories they represent. More than one week after the work commenced, the sight of empty railings and the humming of generators signified the end of an era for all those familiar with the bridge.
It is a sorry sight for many, however, some residents such as John Cartwright, who has lived in Bakewell for more than 30 years, say they have waited "a long time" for the locks to be removed. The 67-year-old added: "It's just tacky, to be honest, I think it always has been.
"It's a shame that people will be losing something that's important to them, and fair enough for the ones that came back to get their locks, but there's bigger things in the world than these trivial issues. You don't need a bridge smeared with ugly locks in order to be special, the wildlife here is amazing.
"It's not just from an eyesore perspective though, these padlocks rust and the rainwater carries the rust into the river, where we have some incredible species of fish as well as ducks and geese. So, in short, It's a good day for the town in my opinion."
Others such as Marie Perkins - who travels weekly from Sheffield - said it was "sad" that they had to be removed. The 53-year-old said: "I feel like it's quite a negative action to remove the locks, their sole purpose is to make people happy and I feel this is just an unnecessary thing to do.
"I always thought it was cute really, another thing that makes Bakewell special. I just hope that they find a new home where they can stay forever - and I hope the council have a good enough reason to remove them in the first place."
The bridge now remains closed while Derbyshire County Council make a series of repairs and improvements to the bridge. The work will treat any rust on the bridge's structure and will see the bridge repainted with modern flexible paint, which is designed to expand and contract in hot and cold weather, helping the bridge maintain its appearance.
A new long-lasting, anti-slip, reinforced glass fibre walkway will replace the existing damaged surface and new tubular railings will replace the wires people have used to attach their love locks. The thicker diameter of the tubes will prevent locks from being attached to the bridge in the future, making maintenance of the structure easier and, the council says, improving public safety by reducing the risk of any grazes and cuts caused by protruding locks