THE winner of the Tintagel Castle footbridge design competition was announced last week, with a breathtaking proposal taking centre stage.

However, the design has been met with some opposition, with many taking to social media to vent their views.

The winning team, led by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates, were among the 137 practices in the international design competition — organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants.

The remains of the 13th century settlement can be seen on both the mainland and the jagged headland or island.

Tintagel Castle’s divided landscape, which was once united by a narrow strip of land, will once again be connected as part of the £4-million English Heritage Project.

It is hoped that the new bridge at Tintagel Castle will follow the path of the original land bridge and allow visitors to gain access and a better understanding of the site’s history.

The team’s concept has been described as being distinctive for its elegant, delicate profile and structural ingenuity.

The team described their cantilevered bridge design as being: “the transition between the mainland and the island, here and there, the present and the past, the known and the unknown, reality and legend; all the things that make Tintagel so special and fascinating.”

The team’s cantilevered bridge design was inspired by their study of Celtic history and the original drawbridge at Tintagel Castle.

They propose to use simple, durable materials including local slate for the decking.

After a positive reception during an exhibition in Tintagel village and positive comments online the teams winning concept was chosen by the panel of judges.

Consents and approvals will have to be gained before English Heritage can begin to work closely with the design team on the bridges completion.

They will require planning permission and Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent with planned completion hoped to be in 2019.

A number of criticisms surrounding the project have been aired online.

North Cornwall MP Scott Mann (Conservative), asked for people’s views on Facebook.

While some people said they loved the design, a large number voiced concern at the cost and the impact on the natural landscape.

One wrote: “Please do not destroy what is left of our natural landscape with big ugly bridges, it won’t be worth it. One of the reasons film makers and tourists love this area is due to its rare untouched nature.”