Wetherby Bridge (Over River Wharfe) With Attached War Memorial

SE44NW, SE4048 WETHERBY HIGH STREET LS22 (south end)

2/ll 5/11 Wetherby Bridge (over 30.3.66 River Wharfe) with attached war memorial

GV II

Bridge and attached war memorial. C13 origin, rebuilt C17 widened 1773 and again in 1826 to a design by Bernard Hartley and Son; war memorial of c1920 by E. F. Roslyn. Ashlar and rock-faced sandstone and gritstone; bronze war memorial statue. Large bridge with 6 segmentally-arched spans; attached war memorial at north end on east side. Upstream (west) side: segmental arches spring from pronounced triangular cutwaters with half-pyramidal tops which rise as piers to the parapet; the walling between raised in rock-faced work and with ashlar parapet wall. Downstream side (of 1826) is of rock-faced gritstone with battered piers rising from triangular cutwaters which divide arches with raised keystones; ashlar parapet; on right is a large battered pier forming base to the war memorial. The soffits of the northernmost 2 arches of the bridge show 3 building phases; the narrow central section of the bridge is round-arched with ribs at the imposts and may be of C13 origin although described as 'newly turned' in 1752 (Carr and Watson). The soffits of the southernmost 2 arches show pointed central sections. War memorial: rectangular ashlar pedestal with plaques recording the names of those lost in the Great War; seated bronze lions to each side of plinth surmounted by bronze statue of Victory holding sword by her right side and with laurel- wreath held aloft. In 1233 Archbishop Gray mentions contributions for the construction of a bridge at Wetherby; by 1281 patent rolls of Edward II note the right of pontage. Rebuilt following destruction by floods in the C17 and continually repaired throughout the following century as a result of increased traffic load and further flood damage. Scheduled Ancient Monument; county No 74. A. Brett, "A Ston Bridg over Wharf" at Wetherby,Y.A,J,50, 193l, pp.274-7. Robert Carr and John Watson, Book of Bridges, MSS, 1752-3. R. Unwin,Wetherby, 1986, pp. 60-61, 79-80.

Listing NGR: SE4041147995

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 31 January 2017.