Bridge Over Hol Beck

The bridge over Hol Beck, located on Water Lane in Holbeck, Leeds, was built in 1849 for Marshall's Flax Mill. It is made of cast iron and features a single flat span that is approximately 4 meters wide. The exposed faces of the bridge have a roll moulding and a recessed panel that displays the date in relief. The flanking railings have spearhead finials above a moulded rail, with column-style standards at the north ends, although the finials are missing. The south piers are square in section and about 1.75 meters tall, with a plinth, a recessed panel, and a moulded cornice that survives on the left side.

This bridge replaced a wooden bridge, likely built around 1808, which connected the flax spinning mill established by John Marshall on the north side of Hol Beck with his new warehouse on the south side, now situated at the corner of Marshall Street. Historically, Marshall's mill properties expanded southward from the original mill, reaching as far as Temple Mill, which was completed in 1843. The old mill remained in use and was depicted in detail on the 1847 Ordnance Survey map, with the wooden bridge facilitating all traffic between the two parts of the works. The construction of the new bridge coincided with the establishment of Globe Road by 1850, at which time Marshall's property was the only complex located between Hol Beck and the canal. By 1866, Marshall's had stopped using the buildings north of the bridge, and the site was nearly cleared, with the Globe Foundry beginning to expand on the north side of Globe Road. This bridge thus marks the final period of use for the north side of Hol Beck by Marshall's Flax Mill, which closed in 1886.