Leeds river aire bridges

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Sat 17 Jul, 2010 7:17 pm

I was looking for paintings of Leeds (see thread) when I came across a fascinating comment on the Leodis site about Monk bridge on the Whitehall road. The present bridge was preceded by the suspension bridge shown above but the comment suggests it was the first suspension bridge in Europe! This suspension bridge was originally designed by George Leather and built in 1827. This bridge takes its name from Monk Pits, an area of meadowland north of the river. It carried Whitehall Road, the main route from Halifax to Leeds into the centre of the town. The bridge was a bow-spring tied arch structure built of cast iron made at the Bowling Iron Works near Bradford. There was also a smaller stone bridge over the canal. By the 1880s the bridge could no longer cope with the increasing volume of traffic and a new bridge was built by the Leeds Corporation. This was designed by Thomas Hewson. quote from David Leather (a descendent of the designer?)Monk Bridge, designed by civil engineer George Leather of Leeds had a 112 foot span with a rigid arch and suspended roadway. George Leather's was the first successful use of this design in Western Europe. One was built in Russia in early 1800s and one in America in 1820 (John James , Newcomen Society 1981). It was a LANDMARK IN THE HISTORY OF BRIDGES (Dr R W Rennison in 'Civil Engineering Heritage, Northern England') and one of seven major bridges designed by George Leather. Copied by Geo Stephenson for railways and in 1932 for Sydney HarbourIt looks like the bridge was constructed for the new toll road to Halifax - The Halifax New road - or Whitehall Road as now called.Interestingly in another thread about the Owls of Leeds the present bridge used to have a line of owls on the top.

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Sat 17 Jul, 2010 7:21 pm

The suspension bridge shown in a painting of Monk Bridge engineering works - note the rail viaduct on the right - still visible today!

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Sat 17 Jul, 2010 7:25 pm

Monk Bridge before the second world war with it's row of owls

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 17 Jul, 2010 11:25 pm

Brilliant stuff Leeds Hippo, thank you for your excellent efforts.....

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sun 18 Jul, 2010 12:59 am

So many of these great threads connect!

Richard A Thackeray · Sun 18 Jul, 2010 10:23 pm

Only a few years before the Aquaduct was built at Stanley for the 'Aire & Calder Navigation Canalhttp://www.stanleyhistoryonline.com/Stanley-Ferry-History.html

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Mon 19 Jul, 2010 8:57 am

RichT wrote: Only a few years before the Aquaduct was built at Stanley for the 'Aire & Calder Navigation Canalhttp://www.stanleyhistoryonline.com/Stanley-Ferry-History.html Nice one - I've not seen this before - looks like Leeds (and Bradford) were at the fore front of bridge building in the early 1800's. What impresses me is how modern they look - they wouldn't be out of place if they were built today.

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Mon 19 Jul, 2010 10:43 am

George Leather designer of both these bridgesIs this the same guy mentioned in another thread?http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... ht=1Quote2) Knowsthorpe (Knostrop) New Hall. The home of George Leather (Junior), infamous civil engineer (designed the Bilberry Dam which collapsed in 1837, killing 81) from 1837 til 1870; then home of his son William Henry Leather, land agent for the Meynall-Ingrams of Temple Newsam (who sold the land for the Sewage works at Knowstrop).

Si · Post by Si » Mon 19 Jul, 2010 1:32 pm

Sorry to be pedantic, but this bridge isn't a true suspension bridge, but a through-arch bridge. A suspension bridge has the roadway suspended by chains or cables hung from cables draped from towers at either end (eg: Humber Bridge, Golden Gate, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.) The world's first suspension bridge is Thomas Telford's Menai Strait Bridge of 1825. Classic through-arch bridges include the Tyne Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Mon 19 Jul, 2010 1:56 pm

Si wrote: Sorry to be pedantic, but this bridge isn't a true suspension bridge, but a through-arch bridge. A suspension bridge has the roadway suspended by chains or cables hung from cables draped from towers at either end (eg: Humber Bridge, Golden Gate, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.) The world's first suspension bridge is Thomas Telford's Menai Strait Bridge of 1825. Classic through-arch bridges include the Tyne Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Thanks SiMy mistake - though still pretty impressive for the age.