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Wednesday, 2 April 2014

A tale of two bridges


I had a weekend away in the north-east west, and on my journey there I had a break at a well-known stopping-off point in Kirby Lonsdale called Devil's Bridge. You can buy hot drinks and a good bacon butty from a mobile café and (cause or effect, I'm not sure) it's a traditional meeting-up place for motorcycle enthusiasts.

It's a crossing point of the River Lune where many packhorse and drovers' rotes converged. Devil's Bridge was built around 1370, probably by monks. Legend has it that the Devil appeared to an old woman, promising to build a bridge in exchange for the first soul to cross over it. When the bridge was finished the old woman threw bread across it for her dog to chase, thereby outwitting the Devil. The old bridge is only 12 feet wide and was closed to vehicles in the 1930s. Another bridge was opened just downstream, which still carries the main road. I'm not sure who decided to paint that one orange....


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8 comments:

  1. Mike@Bit About Britain2 April 2014 at 08:13

    A detour from the north east? But that's a coincidence - A Bit About Britain has just featured one of the intended building blocks for the bridge, dropped by the Devil on the Forest of Bowland. It's a lovely bridge, though - and so close you could have dropped in for a cuppa, Jenny!

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    1. jennyfreckles2 April 2014 at 17:44

      Oops, spot the deliberate mistake! North-west of course. I would have dropped in for a cuppa if I'd known, Mike.

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  2. diane b2 April 2014 at 08:58

    Fabulous bridges and super shots. Great composition. Glad you had a break.

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  3. Andy2 April 2014 at 10:56

    I find myself attracted to bridges with arches. I like the angle you took the photo and the way you included the rocks. As for the colour of the new bridge... give the graffiti artists a chance to change that.

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  4. Anita Johnson2 April 2014 at 16:38

    I find where you live quite magical!

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  5. RedPat2 April 2014 at 18:20

    I was there in Sept - a beautiful spot and such a lovely town too!

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  6. Jack3 April 2014 at 01:56

    The bridge in the top photo is lovely. Let's not talk about the orange-yellow one.

    So, from your comment today do I take it that you think a woman can't be pretty and nice and smart?

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  7. Vicki Lane3 April 2014 at 03:25

    Love the old bridge. And the second one is elegant in form . . . maybe a Monet blue-green and grey would be a more pleasing color scheme...

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