stone bridge rodley

trophy · Post by **trophy** » Mon 25 Aug, 2008 12:00 pm

was talking to a guy recently who walks on the canalside regularly andhe didnt know about the bridge how many other people walk nearby and dont know about this lovely old bridge.

dervish99 · Post by **dervish99** » Tue 02 Sep, 2008 1:55 pm

what lod bridge would that be? The one that goes over the river close by to the railway pub?

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Sat 06 Sep, 2008 10:11 am

dervish99 wrote: what lod bridge would that be? The one that goes over the river close by to the railway pub? I would guess so, as it's the only stone bridge in the area. Underneath it are the remains of another bridge which probably served an old grinding mill, as there used to be old millwheels discarded around. My kids used to be fascinated by the "sunken bridge". Last time I went and had a look there was hardly any evidence left due to silting and general detritus.The regular canal walker may well have missed the bridge, as it's not actually visible from the canal. He (or she) would have to divert from the canalside down the lane which passes the Railway Inn. It's well worth the diversion.I've no idea at what point this bridge stopped being the only route across the Aire at Rodley. My older relatives from Farsley, all now deceased, used to refer to what is now the Leeds Ring Road between Rodley roundabout and Horsforth as "t'New Road", so it had been built during their lives - most of this generation spanned the period 1880 until the early 1990s. It also explains the siting of the former Calverley & Rodley station on George Stephenson's Leeds-Bradford railway, as the building fronted what must then have been the main road. The later ring road was a brisk walk from the station, or not so brisk if luggage had to be hauled. The Farsley Omnibus Co never served the station during the period I used it reasonably frequently - it would not have been an onerous diversion, and could well have been profitable once the Sandoz factory opened.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Sat 06 Sep, 2008 3:53 pm

Is this the one you mean? This also gives me the chance to see if I can finally do this......

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Sat 06 Sep, 2008 3:56 pm

ha haaaa done it at last!!

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Sun 07 Sep, 2008 12:19 am

Not entirely sure, Chrism. As I say, it's a long time since I was there, and from the google earth picture the angle at which the track across the bridge joins the road on the Horsforth side is not as I remember it. But, there's a large building there which might have gone up more recently and affected the road. Sandoz (Clairiant?) might have expanded. I'm usually on a train when I pass that part of the world, and from there the viewing angle's different anyway, and the train's going at about 90 mph, so not a lot of time. Might not get chance to get there on my feet for a while yet.

trophy · Post by **trophy** » Sun 07 Sep, 2008 8:03 pm

yes i think thats it the buildings top right are in the old goods yard with the railway just visible behind.the path going from the swing bridge across the fields to the left is the path from the station up to rodley lane and calverley a long walk!this path was lit by gas lamps.

sundowner · Post by **sundowner** » Sun 07 Sep, 2008 9:56 pm

Chrism wrote: Is this the one you mean? This also gives me the chance to see if I can finally do this...... Hi Chrism it looks has though there has been a lot of earth works in that area.Iwonder what has gone on around this site?

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Sun 07 Sep, 2008 11:01 pm

trophy wrote: yes i think thats it the buildings top right are in the old goods yard with the railway just visible behind.the path going from the swing bridge across the fields to the left is the path from the station up to rodley lane and calverley a long walk!this path was lit by gas lamps. You're dead right it's a long walk to Calverley, especially after returning by train from walking in dales. Remember returning from Horton-in-Ribblesdale after a long tramp - may even have been the Three Peaks, then having to walk up to Calverley after leg muscles had stiffened up during the train journey.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Sun 07 Sep, 2008 11:12 pm

trophy wrote: yes i think thats it the buildings top right are in the old goods yard with the railway just visible behind.the path going from the swing bridge across the fields to the left is the path from the station up to rodley lane and calverley a long walk!this path was lit by gas lamps. Sorry, posted too soon! Yes, got my bearings now with the picture. New buildings fooled me a bit, but not as much as the mature trees to the left of said buildings which make the road appear to have petered out. So everything's spot on. H'mm, made me want to go back for another look ASAP. BTW the gas lamps illuminating the path down the Station Fields survived a remarkably long time.On Saturday night forays into Leeds, main problem was last bus (West Yorkshire Road Car service 31 to Keighley) left Vicar Lane at 22.50, so often had to miss end of film, or worse still, end of second house City Varieties - an experience probably worth a thread unto itself - but there was a later train departure from the bowels of City Station, so the gaslit walk up from the station was better than walking all the way to Calverley from Leeds, altho' I did that more than once! Don't know the final destination of that late departure train. I like to think now that it was somewhere exotic like Garsdale Head, but was more likely Bradford or Keighley.