Rae's curiosity lead her to...
Aldwalk Bridge...
There has been a river crossing here for hundreds of years - the area once called Rudford Wath, wath meaning a fordable stream - and a ferry once ran between the banks. However, it was dangerous and unreliable in the winter weather, and in 1772 an Act of Parliment was granted to John Thompson of nearby Kirby Hall to build a bridge.
Today, this is the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic, or just res and watch the river traffic flow by. Nowadays, the commercial traffic has been replaced by pleasure craft such as powerful cruisers and jolly narrowboats. Keep an eye open for the damselflies, such as the banded damoselle. You might even be lucky enough to spot a brilliantly-coloured kingfisher and you will almost certainly see noisy groups of mallard. The wild flowers have been a picture in spring and summer in this area.
This has long been a popular site for fisherman who seak out roach, perch, barbel and pike. Thompson agreed on condition that the bridge remained in private hands - and today the Aldwalk Bridge remains one of the only eight privately owned toll crossings in the country. Costing 40p to get across well as of May 2021! The stury iron crossing you see today was opened on 6th April 1877 two years after the first bridge, designed by Harewood House architect John Carr, fell into the water.
Serene as the scene is today this was the site of a tragedy where in 1810 you men stood on the bridge to watch ice floes speeding beneath on the flood water. In their excitement, they raced from one side of the bridge to the other - tracgically the railing gave way and 13 fell into the water. But only one of the bodies was ever found.
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