The Oxford Canal towpath through Kidlington, between Roundham Lock and Langford Lock, is shut to all walkers and path users.

Kidlington Town Council reported on Wednesday, June 3, that a fallen tree is obstructing the footpath, forcing it to close.

Workers on the Oxford Canal towpath (FILE PHOTO) (Image: Jon Lewis)

Other reports say the tree has been causing an obstruction since at least Tuesday this week.

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A spokesperson for the town council said: “This issue has been reported to the Canal and River Trust.

“They have now confirmed to Kidlington Town Council that contractors will be attending the site today (Wednesday) to remove the obstruction and reopen the footpath.

“Thank you for your patience while this matter is being resolved.”

The Oxford Canal towpath is a 83-mile walking route between Oxford and Coventry which begins just off Hythe Bridge Street near Oxford’s train station in the city centre.

The post-tensioned footbridge, which spans the busy A4142 Oxford Eastern Bypass, was built in 1963 and provides a route for pedestrians and cyclists.

However, a structural review completed in April 2026, classified it as an “immediate risk” and recommended its closure.

Cuttesmore footbridge highlighted in red on Google Maps (Image: Google Maps)

Engineers identified serious issues with the bridge’s concealed post-tensioning system and critical half-joint supports, holding the central span above the dual carriageway.

Inspectors reported “synchronous resonance of the bridge bouncing to footfall”, which it said could result in “sudden shear failure”.

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The report warned that corrosion, water ingress, and deterioration of hidden components may have significantly weakened the structure, making it “unable to resist accidental impact forces”.

Failure of these key elements could lead to its collapse posing risks to both bridge users and traffic travelling at speeds of up to 50mph beneath it.

Cottesmore footbridge (Image: Google Maps)

Freedom of Information documents show that concerns about the bridge date back several years.

Complaints about noticeable “bouncing” were recorded as early as May 2023, while intrusive investigations in 2012 had already identified corrosion and deterioration affecting the post-tensioning system.

A detour pedestrians and cyclists face because of the Cottesmore footbridge closure (Image: Google Maps)

A 2015 assessment deemed the bridge “provisionally sub-standard” and highlighted vulnerabilities, including concerns that the south pier could not adequately withstand vehicle impact.

At that stage, demolition had already been discussed as a long-term option.

More recent disclosures reveal that engineers first recommended closing the bridge on April 22.

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However, it remained open while Oxfordshire County Council explored alternatives, including further investigations and the installation of temporary fail-safe supports.

Contractors advised that additional intrusive investigations could take at least six months to arrange and cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

More recently, proposals for a temporary support system were also ruled out due to the impracticability of the carriageway before and lack of suitable attachment options.

The final decision to close the bridge was made on May 11, 22 days after an Oxfordshire County Council risk review recommended its closure.

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Consideration was given to a public press release on May 12, but its was “considered that it would be too complicated to explain why the bridge was being kept open after it had been determined that it was unsafe”.

Ultimately, the bridge was closed on May 15 when signs and barriers were installed and the public were informed.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “The decision to close this popular footbridge was not taken lightly but the safety of the public will always be our top priority.

“This structure has been under review for several years.

“Once it was determined that the structure was no longer safe, following a recent risk review, it was closed.”

The couple met at a wedding in Longworth in 1950, when George was doing his RAF National Service in Abingdon.

Jean, one of the Bride’s sisters, ‘caught his eye’ and not long after George turned down a posting to Gibraltar and the chance of a good career in the RAF so that he could be with Jean.

They married one year later Saturday, June 16 at St Mary’s Parish Church in Longworth.

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Jean with sisters Mary and Ruby (Jean is between the two) and their mother Sybil in the Hop fields in Southmoor (Image: Ann Muir)

When asked what their recipe for a long and happy marriage was, they said “Compromise, understanding, humour, allowing each other space to pursue separate interests and never going to bed on an argument.”

They began married life in Aberdeen, George’s home city, but Jean, who had never left Oxfordshire prior to their wedding, struggled with the weather and the ‘unfamiliar Aberdeen dialect’.

They came back south, initially to Longworth to live with Jean’s parents, but when their son, Ian, was born in 1954 they moved to Southmoor.

In 1960 they completed their family with the arrival of their daughter, Ann in 1960.

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George and Jean Mitchell today (Image: Ann Muir)

George worked in the MG car factory in Abingdon until it closed in 1980 causing him to go back into building, this time with Alec Cantwell’s company in Standlake where he worked until his retirement.

Meanwhile, Jean had gone to work at Longworth Hospital and, when that closed in 1981, she commuted daily to Witney Community Hospital until her retirement in 2012 at the age of 80.

This meant that she had to learn to drive, no mean feat for a lady in her fifties, but she passed the test on her first attempt.

For a while in the 1960s both had evening jobs at the Lamb & Flag in Longworth, a very popular restaurant at the time, although many carousing Oxford Students, who regularly frequented the establishment, dubbed it with the unofficial title of “Dirty Dudley’s” which was how, locally, it was commonly known.

George (front row, 2nd from right) in Longworth football team (Image: Ann Muir)

In his younger days, George helped out with the Longworth Scout Group and played football for both Longworth and Kingston Bagpuize becoming a successful manager of the latter for a time.

Their family has grown over the years and they now have three grandchildren, Katie, Alex and Catherine, and two great grandchildren Beatrice, who is five years old, and Max, who is two.

The family are holding a party at the Merry Miller pub on Cothill Road in Abingdon and are expecting over 60 guests are the celebration, including George’s family from Scotland.