Middleton Bridge – 1904 – Ilkley, UK - Bridge Date Stones and Plaques on Waymarking.com

Middleton had existed as manorial lands since at least 1086. This part of Yorkshire never became industrialised and the Middleton family had to rely on income from agriculture and hunting and fishing.

Ilkley in the meantime, across the River Wharfe and higher up the nearby hills discovered natural springs and developed as a spa town. It had already started to develop, but with the advent of the railways in 1865 it expanded more rapidly and attracted many tourists.

In the meantime the Middleton family wanted to keep their estate free from development, but at the same time had expensive tastes and were living beyond their means. They eventually sold their lands to a property development company, The Wharfedale Estate Company.

The company kept their development fairly exclusive, but to make their estate more attractive they wanted to provide good access to the facilities of Ilkley, and especially the railway station.

The proposed building a new bridge across the River Wharfe as early as 1899.

The metal plaque is in the middle of the bridge, attached to the side protective metal railings and states that they eventually completed the bridge in 1904, in conjunction with various local councils.

These days although Middleton is still a fairly exclusive area it is now part of Ilkley Parish Council. There is free parking on the bridge itself, but can get busy. The co-ordinates of a nearby pay and display car park are listed in the variables.

The text on the metal plaque on the bridge reads as follows.

THIS BRIDGE WAS PROJECTED IN 1899
BY THE WHARFEDALE (ILKLEY) ESTATE COMPANY
LIMITED, AND AFTERWARDS CARRIED OUT TO
COMPLETION BY THEM IN THE YEAR OF 1904
WITH THE JOINT ASSISTANCE OF
THE WEST RIDING COUNTY COUNCIL

THE ILKLEY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL

AND THE WHARFEDALE RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL

DIRECTORS OF
THE WHARFEDALE (ILKLEY) ESTATE COMPANY LTD.
HENRY SUTCLIFFE J.P. CHAIRMAN
HENRY ELLIS C.C. VICE CHAIRMAN
VICTOR EDELSTEIN
J. K. EMPSALL
H.O. ARMOLD-FORSTER M. P.
J. T. HEMINGWAY
JOHN ILLINGWORTH

JAMES B. FRASER, LEEDS
ARCHITECT & ENGINEER

CONTRACTORS
SOMERVAIL & CO.
DALMUIR
GEORGE SMITH
ILKLEY

Date built or dedicated as indicated on the date stone or plaque.: 1904 Road, body of water, land feature, etc. that the bridge spans.: River Wharfe Parking (safe parking location): N 53° 55.552 W 001° 49.500 Website (if available): Not listed Date stone, plaque location.: Not listed

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