THE footbridge at Tintagel Castle has been short-listed for the Royal Institute of British Architects’(RIBA) Stirling Prize for the UK’s best new building.

This comes hot on the heels of its win in the RIBA South West Award. Commissioned by English Heritage, the bridge — designed by Ney & Partners engineers and architects William Matthews Associates —reunites for the first time in more than 500 years, the two halves of Tintagel Castle. The bridge consists of two cantilevers that reach out and, almost, touch in the middle. At the centre, a narrow gap represents the transition between the mainland and the island, the present and the past.

Kate Mavor, English Heritage’s chief executive, said: “The footbridge at Tintagel Castle is emblematic of our ambitions as a charity, to bring history to life in imaginative ways. New design —if done with great care and thought —can unlock historic places, the bridge at Tintagel makes the castle whole again.

“We are delighted that the brilliant work by Ney & Partners and William Matthews Associates at Tintagel has been recognised. We’d also like to thank our donors — The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust – for their backing, without which this project wouldn’t exist. With the help of our supporters, English Heritage will continue to invest in sensitive and uplifting new design at our sites to ensure their fascinating stories can be done justice.”

For more information on the Tintagel Castle footbridge, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle/tintagel-bridge