The Bridge Footpath

It’s not often that someone films major roadworks from beginning to end, and perhaps it is a bit too mundane even in the age of reality TV. But the process of reconstructing a bridge – in this case, the road bridge over the River Wharfe between Threshfield and Grassington from May to September 1984 – has its own fascination. The planning, engineering ingenuity, hard work and danger are all revealed, perhaps helping to placate motorists and pedestrians alike.

It is perhaps surprising that this bridge over the River Wharfe wasn’t widened before 1984, it being a major route into Wharfedale and the rest of the Dales, and just along from the tourist attraction of Linton Falls. At one time it would also have been the route for those in Grassington wishing to catch a train to Ilkley or Leeds, as the Grassington & Threshfield station was located on the other side. Although regular passenger services on the Wharfedale line stopped in September 1930, the station continued to be popular with excursion traffic until the 1960s, when it was closed by Dr Beeching. The station closed in 1969.