Bakewell’s Love Locks Find New Home After Four-Year Campaign
After a long campaign, Bakewell’s love locks have a new home at Thornbridge Hall, set to unveil on Valentine’s Day
Bakewell, Love Locks, Thornbridge Hall, Richard Young, Emma Harrison, Community
Bakewell: After four long years, the love locks in Bakewell finally have a new spot. It’s been a wild ride, but they’re all set to be unveiled in February. A team of 140 volunteers is busy threading the locks onto steel beams for the new ‘Love Locker’.
The new home is at Thornbridge Hall, where the locks will be displayed just like they were on the Weir footbridge. They’re planning a big reveal on Valentine’s Day, February 14, which sounds super romantic!
This whole project has been a community effort. Thanks to donations from local businesses, they’ve saved a ton of money on materials and labor. It’s amazing how everyone came together to make this happen.
Emma Harrison, who owns Thornbridge Hall, even designed the structure herself! She went back to her engineering roots to make sure everything was safe and sound. She’s really proud of how it’s all turning out.
Emma shared that they’ve received tons of emails from people wanting to help. Some stories are heartwarming, while others are downright funny. One guy even wanted to find his lock to toss it away after a breakup!
The campaign kicked off when the council announced repairs for the Weir Footbridge, giving everyone a deadline to save the locks. Richard Young, a passionate advocate for the locks, suggested storing them until a new home was found.
In a last-minute twist, Richard found Thornbridge Hall just in time. Emma admitted she had no idea what she was getting into but couldn’t bear the thought of those 40,000 memories being scrapped.
To help visitors find their locks, they’ve even created a treasure map! Plus, there’ll be a bell to ring once you find your lock, and a barrel of water for the tradition of tossing keys.
The community has really stepped up, donating money for materials, and Emma has personally contributed a lot too. She’s been touched by the stories people have shared about their love for the locks.
Richard summed it up perfectly: “It’s a triumph. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I’m just glad they have a new home now.”