Packhorse Bridge In Yorkshire Revealed For First Time Since The 1950s

Low water levels at Baitings Dam in Yorkshire reservoir exposed a Viking era packhorse bridge, which has been submerged since the 1950s.

2022 was one of the driest in 500 years.

Especially in Europe, much of the bodies of water, be it rivers, lakes and reservoirs, lost up to 80% of its water thanks to a spring and summer where rain was non existent in some places.

The drying out of the waters uncovered artefacts that had been submerged in water for decades, like this one in Yorkshire.

Low water levels at Baitings Reservoir revealed the remains of an old village, which included a historic bridge.

Baitings Reservoir is a large water supply reservoir.

It lies in the valley of the River Ryburn and is the higher of two reservoirs built to supply Wakefield with water and was completed in 1956.

Baitings Bridge was flooded under the reservoir so a new, modern concrete viaduct could be built.

During spells of very hot weather and drought conditions, the old packhorse bridge was revealed.

Locally known as the Baitings Bridge, the stone arch bridge is usually underwater during the year with normal rainfall.

However, the drought uncovered the bridge for the first time in 33 years.

The village was on an old packhorse route through the Pennines that linked Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The village developed rapidly in the Industrial Revolution with its flax mill, hydro-powered by the River Ryburn.

When the reservoir flooded the town in the 1950s, it had long been in decline.

The remains of the mill can be seen year round, but the other sunken village ruins haven’t been exposed at all since the mid-1950s.

The reservoir area itself is beautiful, surrounded by woodlands and has impressive views of the moors, and frequented by walkers and nature-enthusiasts in all seasons.

And the village has a gruesome history...

In 1989, the body of a man, with a gunshot wound to the head, was found on the reservoir bed during a drought - the body was weighted down with a pickaxe.

He was identified as 23-year-old Laurence Winstanley, who was last seen leaving a pub in Oldham the previous year.

His body was only exposed because the water level was 12 metres lower than normal.

The murder has never been solved.

Reacting to the historic packhorse bridge on social media, someone said: “It’s a made man reservoir which was created centuries after the Vikings left.

”Now that the water level has dropped to that ancient level you can see where the original river flowed…..right under the Viking bridge.”

Another person added: “Great book by Peter Robinson called "In a Dry Season" . The reservoir was down exposing the village that had been flooded.

”People would walk among the houses. Very good description, and of course, a dead body!”

Packhorse bridges, as their name suggests, were designed to facilitate the transportation of goods by packhorses across rivers, streams, and valleys.

Dating back to medieval times, these bridges played a vital role in the economic and social life of rural communities.

They provided a means of connecting isolated villages and enabling the trade of goods such as wool, grain, and livestock.

Built primarily of local stone or timber, packhorse bridges were constructed with durability and functionality in mind.

Their narrow, arched structures were designed to accommodate the weight and size of laden packhorses, often measuring no more than a few meters in width.

Despite their simplicity, these bridges were marvels of engineering, ingeniously crafted to withstand the test of time.

These bridges were often constructed and maintained by local communities, funded through tolls or taxes levied on goods passing through.

Despite their historical significance, many packhorse bridges have fallen into disrepair over the centuries, succumbing to the ravages of time and neglect.

However, in recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of preserving these ancient structures for future generations.

Organisations such as the Packhorse Bridge Trust and local heritage groups have undertaken restoration projects to ensure that these historical landmarks remain standing for years to come.

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