Swingy Bridge

Twofold blip

First
This is the January Poetry Stone, so the first one on the Poetry Path. I had hoped that I would be able to take this picture with some snow, but it was certainly cold this morning and ‘sky’s harsh crystal’ and ‘wind a blade’ are not bad descriptions. We did not linger long!

The sky’s harsh crystal,
wind a blade, trees stripped,
grass dull with cold. Life
is a kernel hidden
in the stone of winter.


Second
This marks the start of a project I have decided on this year. Following pennybun’s lead I have chosen the River Eden as my One River. I did a bit of exploration as I searched out the Eden Benchmarks and now the Poetry Path, but I thought I would focus on some of the bridges that cross the river, as there are many with interesting histories.

This is Swingy Bridge, a footbridge well known in the area, as it links several footpaths, hence the signpost. I don’t know whether it was once a swing bridge and neither do I know when this one was built. The path behind me that leads up to the bridge is called Bollam Lane and it continues, as you can see, across on the other side of the river. This is an ancient ‘hollow way’ which has been used for hundreds of years and was probably the original main road between Kirkby Stephen and Nateby. Obviously this spot was, and possibly still is, used as a ford to cross the river. The river is far too full after all the rain for anyone to try it today!

Swingy Bridge, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria