Missing bridge of Armley part 2

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Tue 29 Mar, 2011 11:28 pm

Page 7 of this interesting doc has an extract of the 1847 tithe map showing the abutment only:http://www.kirkstallmills.net/listing.pdf

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Tue 29 Mar, 2011 11:46 pm

Bingo! This is earlier than map in the Thackeray as redcote lane isn"t shown. It dates from 1822 and seems to show that it was mainly access to Gott's House from kirkstall Road. http://www.kirkstallward.net/history/th ... 22.pngLots of old maps on this linkhttp://www.kirkstallward.net/history/index.htm

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Tue 29 Mar, 2011 11:50 pm

This 1831 mqp looks like the Thackeray map, Redcote lane as we know it now inc missing bridge.http://www.kirkstallward.net/history/th ... 31.pngGone by 1834

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Wed 30 Mar, 2011 2:57 pm

Didn't Ben Gott have it built to save all his workers paying to cross the stone toll bridge?

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Wed 30 Mar, 2011 6:31 pm

Don't know, but he built both bridges, from the link above:"A few of these works survive today along the river banks, where Gott constructed bridges linking to the newly constructed Kirkstall Road, and a pedestrian suspension bridge to facilitate access to Burley Mills. "As kirkstall road came rather late in the day, after the mills and Armley house were built I suspect the Stone Bridge was a later addition to these. For a while it was the only bridge on the river between Leeds and Kirkstall. The new Gotts iron bridge was a toll bridge. This was prior to the building of Armley/Stanningley Road and Wellington Bridge was this an attempt to profit from the new road and East/West Traffic to Bradford?

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Wed 30 Mar, 2011 9:46 pm

Having done a thorough keyword search of the 19th century newspapers, I can't find any reference to this bridge, or indeed, any other built by Gott. Clearly, new and/or replacement bridges were not newsworthy in those days but if we'd been looking for references to stolen horses, drownings or drunken fights, we would have been spoilt for choice! Actually, apart from the stolen horses, that's not too different from reading the local news these days...

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Wed 30 Mar, 2011 10:27 pm

Thanks, a bit of a puzzle really!

jf · Post by jf » Thu 31 Mar, 2011 3:32 pm

I have some pictures of the remains of the suspension bridge here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfjf/sets/ ... 2325/There was talk of reinstating it as part of the Kirkstall Valley country park proposal, which probably won't happen in my lifetime.A surviving identical structure still stands near Esholt, off the beaten track.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Thu 31 Mar, 2011 7:25 pm

Yes, I saw those whole searching. Went down this afternoon and had a look, easier at this time of year, it:ll be over grown soon and thick with brambles stout trousers and jacket recommended. You can still draw back the bol and the gate swings open. A bit spooky to think of all the mill hands who passed through there. The stone bridge abutment has slots on either side, I wonder if it was part of the water management system for the mills/flood defences? Have pics, will attempt to post later.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Wed 24 Jul, 2013 4:48 pm

CardieI'm interested in the 'island' just further outbound/upstream by St Anne's Mill.No bridge but there's a Fordhttp://binged.it/1aIDRKY built on a weir at the rail/canal side, seems to be only access to the island?