Newlay Bridge

Such an interesting walk today, and fine sunny weather too.
We started off at Fink Hill car park, Horsforth ( Leeds) then to Newlay, along the canal to Rodley, up to Calverley, and back to Horsforth.
Newlay was especially interesting, as I had not been round this area before.
Some lovely interesting old houses, built in the 1800's by wealthy tradesmen from Leeds and Bradford. 

This photo is a view of the River Aire from Newlay Bridge.
The plaque commorates the errection of the bridge by John Pollard in 1819.
Constructed in cast iron, with iron railings either side, and a cobbled surface. It connected Whitecote with the Leeds - Horsforth turnpike.
One of the oldest iron bridges in Yorkshire. The railings were replaced and the cobbles relaid in the 1980's.
Concerns about the weight of traffic ( there was a 3 ton limit) led to it being closed  to vehicles in 1986.
When it was opened a toll was charged of half a penny, which brought in a revenue of £600 per year. It had cost £ 1500 to build, so in three years it had more than paid for itself. A nice profit for Mr Pollard, who had a scribbling mill.and weaving shed on the south side of the river.

A nice walk along the Leeds/Liverpool canal to our lunch stop at Rodley.
( see extra photo)
Then up through Calverley, and a nice surprise, as the path took us past our leader P.s house, and his wife had cups of tea and homemade cakes waiting for us out in the garden!
So a very pleasant half hour or more was spent chatting and enjoying the sunshine.
We all came away laden with bags of plums, as their plum tree had a bumper crop this year! Glad we hadn't far to walk then back to the car, as 4 pounds of plums feels quite heavy when you have already walked 5 miles!

What a very happy day!
Not forgetting a very special birthday boy https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2083653681638540147 Happy Birthday George. xxxx

I hadn't heard of a scribbling mill before. Apparently it is used for the preparation of raw fleece for spinning by a coarse form of carding.
I do love finding out things about our heritage, which thanks to Blip, I do more  often these days!