Beggars Bridge, Glaisdale, Coast to Coast
Historical and Educational Articles for Lion Inn to Grosmont
Beggars Bridge, Glaisdale, Coast to Coast
Beggars Bridge, Glaisdale, Coast to Coast
Beggar's Bridge, or Lover's Bridge, is an ancient stone built single span packhorse bridge over the River Esk, leading from Glaisdale to Limber Hill Wood. The Coast to Coast path passes a few yards from the bridge but does not cross it, taking instead a path through the East Arncliffe Wood. On the opposite side of the Esk is Limber Hill Wood so that the Esk flows between the two Woods until just before reaching Egton Bridge. The bridge is sited on the eastern end of a large northwards loop in the River Esk, and a second bridge carrying a railway is in close proximity. The village of Glaisdale is 1/4 mile to the west and Glaisdale Moor is less that 1 mile away.
Beggar's Bridge River Esk
Beggar's Bridge spans the River Esk within yards of the northern fingertip of East Arncliffe Wood. The bridge is an arched single span packhorse bridge built in 1619. It is a Grade II Scheduled Monument. Not far from it is a more modern, less attractive railway bridge.
Limber Hill Wood Beggar's Bridge
Historic England have listed Beggar's Bridge with a Grade II Listing. It is a single span packhorse bridge crossing the River Esk and dates to 1619. The Coat of Arms of Thomas Ferris of Hull, who built the bridge are embedded into the sandstone structure. The ancient roadway over the bridge is paved. Beggar's Bridge is a fine example of an early post-medieval single span bridge that has survived unaltered.
North side of Beggar's Bridge
The River Esk is silent and still in this image, which displays a fine balance of the snowbound bowed arc of the bridge with that of its reflection. The north side of the bridge is shown.
Beggars Bridge Glaisdale
In the centre of Beggar's Bridge, on the south facade, there is a raised Date Stone. This is the downstream side. It also displays the initials TF, standing for Thomas Ferris, who was the builder of the bridge. Some of the bridge stones are ancient, belonging to an earlier 14th century structure that had fallen down.
Close up of Date Stone
The date of 1619 is clearly etched into the Date Stone, this being the date that Beggar's Bridge was erected by Thomas Ferris. The best position to view the Date Stone is from the east bank of the Esk on the Limber Hill Wood path, a little south of the bridge.
Beggars Bridge, Glaisdale, Coast to Coast
The legend, based on fact, associated with the bridge relates to a young romantic couple Tom Ferres and Agnes Richardson. The flavour of Catherine Cookson seems to run with the legend, for Tom was a poor sheep farmer and Agnes the daughter of a wealthy landlord. They were obstructed by their circumstances from marrying.
Tom decided to seek his fortune at sea, to meet her father's approval, and tried to cross the River Esk to see Agnes before leaving.
The River Esk was in flood and so they were denied each other. He left for sea, surviving battles with the Spanish Armada and piracy in the West Indies, returning a wealthy man. The two lovers married and Tom built Beggars Bridge in 1619 to prevent the same thing happening to others. He became the sheriff of Hull in 1614 and Mayor in 1620.
A ballad was written by a Mrs Dawson about this story:
"The rover came back from a far distant land, "And he claimed of the maiden her long-promised hand; "But he built, ere he won her, the bridge of his vow, "And the lovers of Egton pass over it now."
A short film of the 400 year old Beggar's Bridge Legend has been made by Eboracum Pictures and is available on DVD, which can be purchased online from e-bay.
Low Gill Beck Glaisdale
Beggar's Bridge spans the River Esk within yards of East Arncliffe Wood. The Low Gill Beck flows throughout the length of West Arncliffe Wood, entering East Arncliffe Wood briefly near the ford, only to be subsumed by the River Esk within metres of Beggar's Bridge. The Beck first crosses a ford which is part of the Coast to Coast path as it enters East Arncliffe Wood.
Coast to Coast Trail Guide
Hiking the Coast to Coast
"Hiking the Coast to Coast" is a digitally enhanced eBook available from Apple Books for all people who have either a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad, and is designed to accompany you on your walk of the Coast to Coast path. The trail guide contains Ordnance Survey maps and other advanced mapping features, step by step directions, hundreds of colour photographs, details of the route, its conditions in different weather and research snippets relating to places of interest along the way.
