Bakewell Love Locks Reunited at Thornbridge for Tearful Reunions

People were searching for love locks last Friday. They hung them on a bridge in Bakewell years ago. Some locks were there for ten years or more. Thousands put locks on the Weir Bridge. These locks had messages for loved ones. People called them “love locks.”

Last year, everyone had to remove the locks. They had six weeks to do it and it started a big search for new homes. Derbyshire County Council warned about bridge repairs. They mentioned this four years prior.

Richard Young found a solution when Emma Harrison offered a new home. She owns Thornbridge Hall, so she moved them to Ashford-in-the-Water. Volunteers helped transport the locks, and she designed a metal structure.

Emma opened the “Love Locker,” and many visitors attended the event. She thanked Richard Young and others, also thanking Mike Hall and Ed Fordham. Then Emma matched locks to their old bridge spots. This helped people find them.

One couple sought a lock from ten years ago. They were with their granddaughter, and June Brown cried when they found it. David said they put Martha’s name there, adding that they were sad about melting them down.

They travelled from Leabrooks with Martha, who lives in Worksop. They were happy to find their lock, and June could not believe they found it. It was a very emotional moment for them.

Jamie and Deborah Gledhill also found theirs. They wed in Bakewell during 2017 and put their lock a year later. It was their first anniversary.

Deborah worried when removal was announced. Many locks appeared after theirs, so they could not find their own anymore. They found it at the Love Locker quickly, and she was very grateful.

Some people had a hard time searching because they did not remember exactly where their lock was. However, one couple started a new tradition; they hung a new lock at the Love Locker.

Hannah and Darren Pratt visited Bakewell after reading about the locks online. It and was their ninth anniversary. They put a lock on a vacant wire and found Bakewell Pudding too.

Richard Young wanted to save the locks, and Emma Harrison housed them. He thanked the media and Emma, saying her offer made him cry.

The Love Locker is free and located at Thornbridge Hall. They have treasure trails to find locks. A bell rings when people find theirs.