Beckfoot Bridge (also known as the

Packhorse Bridge A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses (horses loaded with sidebags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low parapets so ...

) was historically a significant crossing point over

Harden Beck Harden Beck is a stream that flows from Hewenden Reservoir, over Goit Stock Waterfall to the River Aire in Bingley, West Yorkshire. The route starts out further up the valley as Denholme Beck, Hewenden Beck and Hallas Beck. Its waters are fed ...

Bingley Bingley is a market town and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which had a population of 18,294 at the 2011 Census. Bingley railwa ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The cost of repair and maintenance of bridges was meted out by either the county, wapentake, parish or township, dependent on the bridge's importance. Beckfoot Bridge was the responsibility of Bingley Township as Ireland and Cottingley bridges were built rebuilt in stone and afforded better links to the town. It was constructed alongside the historical ford across the beck in 1723, replacing a previous wooden bridge. Two contractors were paid £10 to build the bridge and to maintain it and keep it in good order for seven years. It is wide enough for pedestrians or single file horses. In 1974, it was given grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

status.

References

Bridges in West Yorkshire Buildings and structures in Bingley Grade II listed bridges Grade II listed buildings in West Yorkshire Packhorse bridges {{UK-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References