The ambitious new bridge joins Liverpool's Albert Dock and the Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead on a list created by the Guardian newspaper.

The list was created in response to last week's report by influential thinktank Policy Exchange which suggested northerners should relocate to the south.

Wakefield Council leader Peter Box, who officially opened the footbridge in July, said: "I am really pleased the bridge has been recognised so quickly as an iconic design putting Castleford and the north on the national architectural map.

"We already know how stunning the bridge looks and how much it is valued by local people.

"I hope this publicity will now bring people from all over the country to walk across it."

The long-awaited bridge (inset under construction) – which completed regeneration scheme The Castleford Project – links Mill Lane with Aire Street and follows the shape of the weir.

Designed by Renato Benedetti, the bridge's unveiling was blighted by delays and vandalism but it has now been nominated for several awards.