The Eden at Appleby

This is the footbridge over the Eden that links the old settlement of Bongate with the main town of Appleby. It was built in 1970 to replace an iron bridge erected to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. This was ‘damaged beyond repair’ by flood waters in March 1968. So quite topical really.

You can see from here that there was, and obviously still is, a ford, although I don’t think anyone would be using it as such today with water levels this high! There is evidence that this ford has been a major crossing of the River Eden for many centuries, used by Vikings, Romans and Scots, as well as the local population.

You can also see, stuck under the bridge, a tree or at least a big bit of a tree. This has been here a few weeks now, probably a victim of the gales. There was a picture of it in the local paper last weekend, the news being that there were no plans to move it until the water levels go down. The Cumberland and Westmorland Herald does not have much news, probably because it is reporting from a county that no longer exists!

I’m not sure why there appears to be a weir at this point. There is a larger weir just a few yards upstream which was for the mill, but this is more likely some rubble or maybe something to do with the ford. Who knows!