TRAFFIC came to a standstill in Barnard Castle on Wednesday last week when an oversized HGV got stuck trying to manoeuvre round the town’s historic Market Cross.
The Prestons of Potto wagon, transporting steel beams on an extended trailer, found there just was not enough space for the vehicle to get around the 18th century octagonal building.
Motorists heading up The Bank took an alternative route around the Market Cross after the elongated vehicle was nudged tight against buildings in Market Place.
But market day traffic was only held up for about 20 minutes when other motorists, market supervisor Mark Vaughan and town resident Gareth Hinchcliffe, stepped into to help find a solution without damaging the grade I listed building.
The team of helpers carefully guided the driver and his large load back up into Newgate, before manoeuvring the wrong way around the much-damaged Market Cross, with only centimetres to spare.
The driver and his helpers were given a round of applause when he successfully navigated onto Market Place without damaging the building or retaining stone wall opposite.
Mr Hinchcliffe, whose property at 3 The Bank is currently clad in scaffold, had sympathy with the driver.
He said: “I’ve driven a few of them [HGVSs] and it’s bad enough when you get stuck, but to have an audience must be terrible.”
