After nearly four years of closure, repair work on Henry Penn Walk is finally set to begin on Wednesday, 3 September 2025. The long-awaited restoration follows the collapse of a section of the riverside footpath near Town Bridge in 2021, which left the route barricaded and unusable.
Henry Penn Walk, Peterborough
Tuesday 21 February 2023.
Picture by Terry Harris.
The freeholder, Riverview House Freehold Ltd, will oversee the works under a tightly controlled schedule: restricted hours between 9:30am and 3:30pm, with lane closures deployed and removed daily to accommodate complex traffic management. Due to the exceptional nature of the site—adjacent to a busy city artery—special permission has been granted to allow daytime traffic disruption.
The repair timeline is estimated at 6 to 8 weeks, though officials caution that this is fluid due to unpredictable site conditions. To mitigate impact, the council has imposed several conditions, including limited working hours and staged lane closures. Still, delays to both traffic and pedestrians are expected.
Henry Penn Walk, Peterborough
Friday 14 February 2025.
Picture by Terry Harris.
Local residents and civic advocates have long pressed for action, citing the path’s importance for connectivity and public access. The Peterborough Civic Society previously described the prolonged closure as “an eyesore,” while elected officials urged intervention amid years of silence from the freeholder.
Henry Penn Walk, Peterborough
Friday 14 February 2025.
Picture by Terry Harris.
With work finally underway, the focus now shifts to execution, transparency, and whether the repairs will restore not just the path—but public trust in the stewardship of shared infrastructure.
