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A video by Men Behaving Badly star Caroline Quentin to help raise funds to replace a popular footbridge in Exmoor National Park has been viewed more than 16,500 times since it was posted on Facebook two weeks ago.

Over 630 people have also liked, commented on, or shared the video, in which Caroline makes an impassioned plea for people to help raise the £65K needed for a new bridge at Woodside, near Lynmouth in the stunning East Lyn Valley.

There’s been a crossing over the lower reaches of the East Lyn River for more than a century. The most recent was installed by the army, allowing visitors to return to Lynmouth via a short easy circuit through Middleham Memorial Gardens, created to mark the notorious 1952 flood. But its soft wood timbers wore out and so it had to be removed in 2016. Exmoor National Park have since teamed up with the Lyn Community Development Trust to help raise funds for a new one.

Suzette Hibbert, Mayor of Lynton and Lynmouth and a Director of the Lyn Community Development Trust, said: “This Bridge provides the easiest access to the Middleham gardens for both locals and visitors who value their time spent in this peaceful spot. It is also a safe route for walkers that avoids them using Tors Road as they set off or return from the very popular walks up the East Lyn valley.”

Dan James, Sustainable Economy Manager at Exmoor National Park, added: “We’re so grateful to everyone who has donated to the campaign so far, helping us raise £10K towards our £65K target that will allow a new bridge to be rebuilt in solid Exmoor oak, sourced sustainably from our own managed woodlands.

“Our National Parks are special places where people can enjoy the very best of the British countryside often for just the cost of parking or petrol. If you’ve enjoyed your visit, please consider donating a few pounds to Caremoor to help keep Exmoor special and put this much-loved route back on the map for another generation.”

Donations to Caremoor for Exmoor can be made via the Exmoor National Park website www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/caremoor , at National Park Centres in Lynmouth, Dunster or Dulverton, or by sending a cheque to “CareMoor (Exmoor National Park)” to Exmoor House, Dulverton, TA22 9HL.