Iritty: Bridge History and Green Discoveries

Iritty offers two different ways to explore local history: the engineering of the Steel Bridge and the development of green spaces. At the bridge, you can distinguish between an earlier structure, the 1928 flood and the construction of the present bridge. Nagar Van and another park turn attention to how urban green spaces were created and have changed. This raises a practical question for planning your trip: are you particularly interested in historic structures, or more in the development of parks and plantings?

The Iritty Steel Bridge and its construction history

The first Iritty Bridge was built by the British in 1887 and was destroyed a few years later in the severe flood of 1928. The present Iritty Steel Bridge was inaugurated in 1933. The British built it over the Iritty River to connect Coorg (Kodagu) and Thalassery. Its steel girders were imported entirely from Britain; E. H. Stewart designed and built the bridge.

The structure itself also tells the story of this bridge: three spans are supported by two piers, and the bridge was equipped with a vibration-control system. Together with its purpose as a connection and the origin of its steel girders, these are tangible details that help bring its construction history to life. Visitors interested in historic engineering can take away more than just an inauguration year: the bridge’s technical details are linked to its role at the time between Coorg and Thalassery. The first bridge, built in 1887, and the present Steel Bridge remain two clearly distinct stages in this history.

Green spaces in Valliyad and Iritty

Nagar Van in Valliyad, Iritty, developed from the Sanjeevani Medicinal Garden, a medicinal plant garden established by the Forest Department in 2003. A report from October 2024 cited 25 planted species and around 1,000 plants that had survived up to that point. An additional 6,000 tree saplings had been planted. These figures show several stages in the project’s development: from the medicinal plant garden’s establishment, through its development into Nagar Van, to the additional plantings. The numbers give a sense of the project’s scale, while also specifying the date of the reported plant count.

The facilities also reflect a particular stage of the project: as of October 2024, a ticket counter and a toilet block had been completed in the first phase. If these facilities are important to your plans, check their status before visiting.

Another park project has its own history. An August 2024 report describes how the Greenleaf Agri Horticulture Society, with permission from the Payam Panchayat, established a park in Iritty on a site previously used as a rubbish dump. Alongside the development of the medicinal plant garden into Nagar Van, this provides another example of green-space development in Iritty: a park on land that had previously been used for a different purpose. Visitors interested in the design of public spaces will find two distinct development stories here, rather than one uniform park story.

Which focus suits your trip?

The information about the bridge leads to its construction history and engineering; the green spaces tell stories of medicinal plants, plantings and the creation of a park. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Iritty, these different themes can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. Ask yourself whether you would rather explore the history of an engineering structure or the development of green spaces. That way, your search for accommodation starts with a clear idea of what you would like to discover in Iritty.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Muzhappilangad, Chakkarakkal, Taliparamba, Azhikode South, Periya, Payyanur, Nayattupara, Pappinisseri

Return to the main travel overview: Kannur.