Bridges over the River Ancholme

The New River Ancholme is a tributary of the Humber Estuary. The river drains the Ancholme Valley in North Lincolnshire, that lies between Ermine Street to the west and the North Lincolnshire Wolds to the east. It runs straight and north for 17 miles from Harlam Hill Lock in the south below Snitterby Carrs to South Ferriby Lock and into the Humber by the Crown & Anchor.

Over this stretch are seven 19^th Century wrought iron and timber-decked single carriageway bridges, at least five of which were built for the Commissioners of the Ancholme Drainage and Navigation.

Some bridges are easier to get to than others, but they’re all different – all worth the trip, and we eventually managed to get to all seven at different times of the year over three years.

Five of the bridges are listed by Historic England and we’ve included the links to the official list entry of the relevant bridge, where you’ll find details of bridge builders, dates, construction materials, maps and locations, and some wonderful descriptions. Where there’s a listing on Historic England there’s a link in the bridge heading.

The photographs of each bridge are in order from north to south: starting with Horkstow Suspension Bridge below South Ferriby Lock; then Saxby; Broughton; Castlethorpe; Cadney; Hibaldstow; and Snitterby, also known locally as Brown’s Bridge, just north of Harlam Hill Lock.

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Rich and Lou Duffy-Howard