I had a stressful few days trying to get fibre broadband connected. How can BT/Openreach get things so consistently wrong? Eventually, after a lot of hassle, on the third day I did get the working connection I needed. Phew. It was a lovely day, unseasonably warm and sunny, with gorgeous light so the best way for me to decompress was with a walk. I decided I'd go to Bingley as I haven't walked that way for ages, though it's a familiar, favourite route. (I used to live over in that direction.)
I walked down Beckfoot Lane to the gorgeous little packhorse bridge which has spanned Harden Beck since 1723, though there was a wooden bridge here before that. I've shown it several times before on my blog but I do think it an attractive spot, with the ford and the narrow bridge. Packhorse bridges were traditionally built without parapets so that horses heavily laden with panniers could cross unimpeded. Wooden balustrades have been added to the structure much more recently, as health and safety is taken more seriously these days.
After recent rain the ford was quite deep and fast-flowing. Misguided visitors to the area, using sat-nav, have many a time come to a halt in their cars half-way across!
I wanted a photo showing the bridge from the other direction. Beside the bridge, there are some lovely old buildings with a rich history: Templar Cottage and Beckfoot Farmhouse - but what with the sun being in my eyes and an abundance of brambles and shrubbery, that proved more than a difficult assignment!
Nearby, on the banking, I spotted a really pretty little cluster of newly minted daffodils, the first I'd seen this year.
How wonderful this all is! The packhorse bridge, fort and beck, the buildings, the sun-lit woodland and of course the brand new daffodils!
ReplyDeleteAs you say, a walk is the best way to decompress (I like this expression for it - it is very descriptive for what you felt like after the struggle with BT).