Fishing Lodge Footbridge

New footbridge for the museum’s Grade II Listed Fishing Lodge

The Food Museum, Stowmarket

In 2022, Modece was awarded a competitive bid to secure over £1 million from the MEND program for the Food Museum in Stowmarket (formerly the Museum of East Anglian Life). This substantial funding, provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England, will enable the museum to undertake crucial infrastructure projects beyond its regular maintenance budget.

Modece is developing and executing all projects tied to the allocated funding grant, focusing on developing, extending, and refurbishing several key buildings on the museum’s site, including the Grade II-listed Victorian Stables, Grade II-listed Abbots Hall, the Collections Store, and the Grade II Fishing Lodge. By preserving these historic buildings and enhancing the visitor experience, Modece and the Food Museum are making a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of the region.

A key component of this project was the restoration of the historic footbridge leading to the Grade II-listed Fishing Lodge. This Victorian building once served Abbots Hall and is surrounded by a fishing pond, historically used by the Hall's residents.

The bridge’s conceptual design was provided by Jon Pattle, a trustee and volunteer architect at the Food Museum. Modece provided the technical realisation in collaboration with JP Chick structural engineers. Given our ongoing work with several buildings on site, we oversaw the bridge’s execution and procurement, leveraging our extensive experience in heritage building restoration and conservation. We ensured the project met the rigorous standards when working within a heritage curtilage, in proximity to a listed building, and in liaison with the planning authorities.

The result is a stunning footbridge which significantly improves the accessibility and experience at the museum for all visitors.