Church Bank, Sowerby Bridge

 Church Bank is a cobbled road that was once one of the main routes down the hillside connecting with Wharf Street, Sowerby Bridge. Now a hidden away pedestrian route with access from Wharf Street available to cars but blocked from Church View - Sunnybank Street, offering only access to pedestrians and cyclists. The roads status as a access route to Wharf Street ended in the 1950's when Tuel Lane was extended and the Rochdale Canal filled in, around this time some local authority housing was built on the Church Bank hillside and the road was closed to thru traffic.

About a quarter of the way up the hill is Orrell House, which occupies a plot of land between Church Bank and Grange Place, the house was once used as a doctors surgery but has been a private residence for a number of years.

These pictures were taken on the 10 April 2022 using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera, they can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

Taken from the bottom of Church Bank, with Wharf Street behind me, Orrell House
is largely hidden from view to the right of the picture.

Taken from the top of Church Bank, Sunnybank Street behind me and Church
View to my right. Christ Church can be seen in the centre of the image.

About half way up or down, Church View can be seen to the left.

Looking down with Wharf Street Visible, Orrell House is
hidden behind the wall to my left.

Again about half way up or down depending on your perspective,
it's hard to believe this was once a busy route in to town.

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Priest Lane and Ripponden Church Spire.

 Ripponden cobbles is a short road known as Priest Lane that runs down from the A58 Halifax Road, passing the Old Bridge Inn, crossing the River Ryburn before ending near to St Bartholomew's Church, Ripponden. The picture below was taken just beyond the Old Bridge Inn looking up towards the A58.

The following 3 pictures show Ripponden Parish Church or St Bartholomew's by its better known name. They were taken at differing angles. 

St Bartholomew's Church occupies a site alongside the River Ryburn in what is considered the historic township of Barkisland, it is very much considered Ripponden now with Barkisland sitting atop the nearby hill overlooking Ripponden. The first place of worship to occupy the site was a small chapel which was consecrated in 1465. A much larger church was built as a replacement in 1610 and again this was replaced when a new church was opened in 1731. The 1610 church having been badly damaged by the flood of 1722 when the River Ryburn rose by over 20 foot, the flooding caused a few graves to be washed away and the deaths of 15 people who all lived nearby. 

The third church to occupy the site lasted until 1867 when the roof was in such a bad state of repair the building was closed and demolished to be replaced by the current St Bartholomew's which opened in June 1870. George Shaw of Saddleworth was the architect and builder. The church underwent repairs to the belfry in 1876, when the nearby Ripponden Mill burnt down and sparks from the fire reached the belfry.  There has only been minor alterations since with windows replaced and a new organ installed. There is a local legend that says the people of Barkisland refused to contribute to the cleaning of the church clock and that is why the clock facing Barkisland is left uncleaned.

The church pictured from across the River Ryburn near to
the Old Bridge Inn. The river rose over 20 feet in 1722.

The church pictured from the B6113 Elland Road (Ripponden Bank).The dirty
Barkisland facing clock face can be seen on the right of the spire.

The church pictured from the abandoned Rishworth Branch Line

The pictures were taken on the 29 April 2017 using a Nikon d3300. Clicking any image should open a link in another window to the version on Clickasnap.

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Road Views of Britain, A Drive from Ross on Wye to Monmouth.

A drive from Ross on Wye to Monmouth is a new video I have uploaded to YouTube. The stretch of road driven along is probably one of the most scenic in Britain and the video takes in approx. 12 miles from the end of the M50 motorway, along the A449 and A40 and completes just after I emerged from the Gibraltar tunnel at Monmouth. It was filmed on a dash cam from a higher up vantage point than normal as I was driving a long in my DAF XF truck.

The video was filmed on Wednesday January 29th 2020.

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Sowerby Bridge, New Years Day

Sowerby Bridge is a market town in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire. The town originally was a crossing point for travellers to pass over the River Calder whilst journeying between Yorkshire and Lancashire. The town takes it's name from the nearby hill settlement of Sowerby and the bridge that crossers the River Calder near the town centre. The town grew during the industrial revolution as textiles and engineering industry was created using the Rivers Calder and Ryburn to power the mills. The town suffered as these industries declined and it has now become more of a tourism destination popular with canal boaters.

The town is the confluence of the River Calder & Ryburn, the Junction for the Calder & Hebble Navigation & Rochdale Canal's.  The canal was blocked in Sowerby Bridge from the 1960's until the 1990's, the reopening of this section through Tuel Lane tunnel and the building of the deepest inland canal lock in the UK allowing boats to travel through Yorkshire to Manchester for the first time in over a quarter of a century.

The town was also a railway junction for over 70 years when the Rishworth Branch line headed away from the station up the Ryburn Valley until closure in the 1950's. Originally planned as a shorter alternative route to Littleborough the line was only completed to Rishworth. The station was a much larger one because of it's junction status until the closure of the branch and the main station building being destroyed by fire in 1978 and demolished shortly after.

The town is often heavily congested with traffic, so knowing this would not be the case early on New Years Day I took an opportunity to picture the main streets whilst traffic was minimal. The walk I took was along the main street from Pye Nest to the east of the town through to the West End area of Sowerby Bridge, picturing some places of interest away from the main route.

Garden area on Bolton Brow. This used to be covered by housing.

Wharf Street.

The former Sowerby Bridge Police Station, the building was featured in seasons 1 and 2 of Happy Valley.

Lock 2 on the Rochdale Canal from the top of Tuel lane Tunnel.

Tower Hill.

County Bridge towards the Town Hall building.

River Ryburn.

Donaldson's Vets at the end of Wakefield Road used to be a pub known as the Prospect Inn.

Locks 1 and 2 on the Rochdale Canal.

Main Road underneath Sowerby Bridge Viaduct.

River Calder from County Bridge.

The Jubilee Refreshment rooms are housed in the former ticket office for Sowerby Bridge Railway Station. The building is all that remains of the station building damaged by fire and demolished 1978-81.

Ryburn Buildings at West End.

Looking down Bolton Brow, Gratrix Lane to the right.

Train passing over Sowerby Bridge Viaduct, taken from County Bridge.

J.D. Wetherspoons Commercial Inn at the bottom of Tuel Lane. The canal originally exited a bridge near the traffic lights, this was infilled in the 1950's. Their was a tunnel built underneath this junction in 1996 to reopen the Rochdale Canal, which comes out behind the Commercial Inn.

Christ Church.

Wharf Street, the building with the to let sign was once a branch of the Halifax Bank.

Victoria Bridge and the River Ryburn.

The River Calder.

Sowerby Bridge Railway Station.

Warehouse 2 and the Salt Warehouse at Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin.

Carlton Mill.

River Calder.

Soweerby Bridge Viaduct.

River Calder.

It should be pointed out that the building often referred to as the town hall was never actually Sowerby Bridge Town Hall. It was built in the hope that Sowerby Bridge Council would purchase the hall from the developers but this never happened. The clock is owned by the people of Sowerby Bridge and the building until recently was a branch of Lloyds Bank.

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The Tyne Tunnel, North and South.

The Tyne Tunnel is a road tunnel that carries the A19 road under the River Tyne approx. 7 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It connects the south bank town of Jarrow with North Shields on the other side. Originally opened in 1967, the tunnel formed part of a 3 tunnel project to link the banks of the Tyne via pedestrian, cycle and road crossings. The original tunnel was refurbished in 2011 after the completion of a new 2 lane tunnel to the east of the original one, which carries southbound traffic now.

These were filmed on the same day 29th March 2018 using my dashcam. The main video clip is of the northbound tunnel with the southbound overlaid in the top left hand corner. I then added some background music.

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Capturing the Tamar: A Dashcam Perspective & the Story Behind the Scenes

For me, photography and videography are two sides of the same coin, each extending and enriching the other. My YouTube videos, in a way, are small visual essays, little extensions of my photographic eye. Recently, I had the opportunity to capture something I've long desired to photograph: the iconic Tamar Bridges. While a full-fledged photoshoot is still on my to-do list, a recent drive provided a unique perspective, captured through my trusty dashcam.

The resulting video documents my journey across the Tamar Road Bridge, a vital artery connecting Cornwall and Devon. This bridge, a testament to engineering prowess, spans the majestic River Tamar. Its history is as fascinating as its structure. Opened in April 1962, it stands proudly alongside the equally impressive Royal Albert Bridge, a railway masterpiece. Interestingly, the Tamar Road Bridge operates as a partial toll bridge, with only eastbound traffic paying the fee.

However, the bridge's story isn't without its challenges. From 1999 to 2001, it underwent substantial refurbishment after it was discovered to be under-strength, a consequence of evolving European regulations for goods vehicle requirements. This project was a significant undertaking, ensuring the bridge's continued safety and functionality for years to come.

My dashcam footage continues beyond the bridge, leading me into the Saltash Tunnel in Cornwall. This 410-meter tunnel, built to endure for a century, carries the busy A38. Opened in 1988, it quickly faced unforeseen challenges. Within months, water seepage from the surrounding hills began to penetrate the tunnel lining, necessitating a major refurbishment project. This experience highlights the unpredictable nature of infrastructure projects and the importance of adapting to unforeseen circumstances.

While the dashcam video offers a raw, unfiltered view of these engineering marvels, it has only fuelled my desire to capture them through the lens of my camera. The bridges, with their distinct characters and historical significance, offer a wealth of photographic opportunities.

This experience underscores the power of capturing moments, even in unexpected ways. Whether through photography or videography, the ability to document and share these experiences provides a unique perspective on the world around us.

This was filmed on the 27th March 2018. The background music featured is Cavern by Hovatoff.

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The Forgotten Bridge of Sowerby Bridge: Gas Works Road Bridge

Sowerby Bridge, a charming town nestled in the Calder Valley of West Yorkshire, boasts a rich industrial heritage. Among its many historical remnants, the Gas Works Road Bridge stands as a silent testament to a bygone era. Crossing the River Calder, this unassuming structure holds a story within its weathered stones, a story that deserves to be told and, more importantly, a story that demands action.

Built in 1816, the original bridge is a fascinating piece of engineering, the brainchild of Samuel Aydon and William Elwell. While much of their original design is now obscured by the widening that took place around 1850, its essence remains, a whisper of the past. Initially constructed for carriages, the bridge later accommodated the burgeoning automobile traffic of the 20th century. Imagine the clip-clop of horses' hooves giving way to the rumble of early motor cars traversing this very crossing.

Today, however, the Gas Works Road Bridge stands silent, a pedestrian-only pathway. While still open to foot traffic, its vehicular days are long gone. Local lore suggests the bridge was closed to cars sometime in the early 1980s due to structural weaknesses, although concrete evidence of this closure and its exact cause remains elusive. If anyone has information about this, please do share it in the comments below!

Despite its historical significance, the bridge appears to be slowly succumbing to the ravages of time. Granted Grade II listed status on July 19th, 1988, one would assume this designation would ensure its preservation. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case. The bridge continues to deteriorate, a victim of neglect. The local authority appears to have no clear plan for its restoration or even its long-term maintenance.

This is a tragedy. The Gas Works Road Bridge is more than just a crossing; it's a tangible link to Sowerby Bridge's past. It's a piece of our industrial heritage, a reminder of the ingenuity and craftsmanship of our ancestors. To allow it to crumble further would be a disservice to the community and a loss for future generations.

Clicking any of the images should open a link in another window to my Colin Green Photography store on Zazzle.

The first 2 pictures how the height of the river on Boxing Day 2015 when the River Calder flooded much of the Calder Valley.

The next 2 were taken at the bridge on the 30th July 2017 with a Nikon d3300SLR camera.

The next 6 were taken with a Polaroid is2132 bridge camera on the 22nd November 2014.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.