Rastrick Bridge, Brighouse - TWA00254

RASTRICK BRIDGE, Brighouse, The Borough of Brighouse derives its name from this ancient bridge. An ancient house or houses stood near the bridge over the Calder between Brighouse and Rastrick. hence the name Brighouse, or Bridge-house, and for a time indeed the place was known as Rastrick Brighouses. From a very early date there was a wooden bridge over the Calder at the place known as Bridge End. The seal of the Borough of Brighouse commemorates the naming of the place since it bears on it a representation of "The House on the Bridge." There was a bridge here from about 1270 or 1275 or earlier. It was a wooden one, and consequently in constant need of repair. In his will dated April 1, 1514, John Hanson bequeathed as follows: "I give and leave to the use of the bridge of Brighouse three trees value 5s." There is a record of the bridge in 1277. "An inquisition is to be taken at the bridge of Rastrick at the next coming of the Steward there," 11th June 1277. On March 16, 1556 Elizabeth Waterhous left 6s. 8d. "to the mending of Raystricke brige," and John Hanson of Woodhouse, Rastrick similarly left 20s. to the mending of the bridge in 1533. In 1615 Brighouse Bridge was carried away "by a great flood in the Calder." In 1638 ten pounds was estreated on the West Riding "to be paid over unto Thomas Thornhill, Esq., to be ymployed towards the repaire of the said bridge." A resolution dated 1639 refers to the bridge and explains itself. "Forasmuch as this Court is certified that Sir John Savile, knt., and Thomas Thornehill, esq., two of his Ma'ties justices of peace, of the great decay of Brighouse bridge, within the wappentacke of Agbrig and Morley, which is a cuntry bridge, and ought to be charged uppon the whole W.R., and that the sum of xlviijli (£48) will but repaire the same, ORDERED that the said summe shall be estreated uppon the said W.R. and collected by the constables there, and paid over unto the said Thomas Thornehill, esq., and Joseph Lockwood, to be ymployed for the repaire of the said bridge for the generall good of the cuntrye." An order in 1640 states that those who have undertaken the work at Brighouse bridge "have performed the said worke very well and disbursed a farr greater summe than was allowed for that worke in the repayre thereof, Ordered that the somme of xli c£10) shalbe allowed out of this W.R. and collected by the high constables there, and payde over unto the sayde Jo: Robinson and the other workemen there in full satisfacion of that worke. "

A will dated in 1553 refers to Brighouse Bridge. "Whereas John Hanson of Huddersfield, my nephew, owes me 26s. 8d. for a parcel of land in Brighouse, late my deceased brother Thomas', I give it to the beldinge of one bridge standinge over the water of Calder betwixte Raistrike and Brighouse comonl,y called Brighouse bridge; 10s. at the comment. of the buyidinge newe, 6s. 3d. when half-finished, and 10s. when just completed." In the 1752 Bridges Book, Brighouse Bridge is described as follows: "Brighouse Bridge is situated over the River Calder at Brighouse, in the Parish of Halifax. The Arches and Battlement of it are of hewn Stone, and the Rest of Wall Stone. It hath four Landstall Walls, is well paved and fram'd and set under the Arches, and is, together with 300 Feet of the Road to the North, set with Stone; and 110 Feet to the South, from the Springing of the End Arches, maintained by the West Riding." Inscribed on a stone tablet inserted in the front of a house situated at the end of the bridge, on the Brighouse side of the river, is the following: "H.H.M. 1756." The date and initials refer to the time of the erection by one of the members of the Hoyle family of Brighouse who owned and resided at the house.

Today the bridge has three stone arches and one stone parapet. On the Elland side the bridge has apparently been widened and the parapet on this side is now of metal.

Tom Walker

Olwen Forest

1960 , 1960s

PHDA - Tom Walker Collection

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

TWA00254.tif