Aldwark Bridge is a historic bridge over the River Ure in North Yorkshire, in England.
Until the mid-18th century, a ferry connected the two banks of the river at Aldwark. The ferryman in 1768 was John Thomson, and that year, he rode to London to seek permission to construct a bridge, in exchange for collecting tolls. This was granted, and the bridge opened in 1772. It originally had brick piers and a wooden deck.[1] In 1848, it was described as "a substantial wooden structure, which crosses the river and its banks by twenty-seven arches and culverts".[2] A local legend claims that it was once damaged by an iceberg. In 1880, the central section of the bridge was destroyed during a flood, and the bridge was largely rebuilt, using an iron frame.[1]
Brick arches over the floodlands, in 2009
By 1962, the bridge was owned by Yorkshire Farmers Ltd. The company offered to sell it to the North Riding of Yorkshire County Council, but the council was uninterested, and it remained in private hands. It remains a toll bridge, thought to be the last one wholly in Yorkshire since the fee for crossing Selby toll bridge was abolished in 1991. The toll can only be increased by permission of Parliament; it was doubled to one penny in 1980, while in 2005, it rose from 15p to 40p. In 2022, permission was refused to increase the toll to 80p.[1]
Deck of the bridge, in 2010
The bridge was grade II listed in 1988.[3] As of 1997, the bridge was used by 700,000 vehicles a year.[1] It closed in April 2023 for maintenance, and is due to reopen in 2024.[4]
The bridge has an iron frame and a timber deck, with one brick arch surviving, supported by a sandstone cutwater. There are also surviving brick and sandstone arches over floodlands at the side of the river. The section over the river consists of four spans.[3]
^ abcdLloyd, Chris (23 April 2023). "History behind the Union Chain Bridge and the Aldwark private bridge". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^Lewis, S. (1848). A Topographical Dictionary of England. London. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^ abHistoric England. "Aldwark Bridge (1150281)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^Greenwood, Darren (11 December 2023). "Aldwark Toll Bridge now due to re-open in "early 2024"". The Press. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
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