This is a list of current bridges and other crossings of the River Ure in North Yorkshire, which are listed from its source downstream to the river's mouth. The River Ure is listed on mapping as starting at Ure Head on High Abbotside (). The named River Ure ends where Ouse Gill meets the Ure near Great Ouseburn and it becomes the River Ouse (see List of crossings of the River Ouse, Yorkshire).
As with other river locations in Northern England, especially in the old North Riding of Yorkshire, many bridges were built at the locations of fords across the river. Examples of this are Scabba Wath Bridge and Harper Wath which is just outside Aysgarth. Harper Wath marked the limit of the property of Easby Abbey (later Marrick Priory), and later had a footbridge installed immediately downstream (Turn Hole Footbridge). Wath comes from the Old Norse vað meaning ford. Many of the old fords are now not used, or have some stepping stones in place.
The old railway crossings on the formation of railways over the river have been demolished; one was a girder bridge between Aysgarth and Hawes stretching for across the river. Another, far further downstream in Ripon was the Ure Viaduct. This was demolished in the 1970s and the position it occupied is now largely taken up by the Duchess of Kent road bridge which takes the bypass around Ripon. A third demolished railway viaduct was in Boroughbridge which consisted of two iron girder spans, each measuring in length. The viaduct was last used in October 1964, and was demolished sometime afterwards.
The old name for the river was the Yore which gave way to the Ure; Yoredale describing the valley on Wensleydale was the common name for the valley until the start of the 18th century. There are bridges over the river at Bainbridge and Aysgarth that are both called Yore Bridge and are both grade II listed. The one at Bainbridge was built in 1796 and the one at Aysgarth was built in the 16th century and widened in 1788.
The canalised sections of the River Ure downstream of Ripon, most notably the Milby Cut, and the Westwick Cut, are not included for any structures over the formation.
Crossings
Crossing Location Type Co-ordinates Date openedListing NotesPhotoGreen BridgeLundsTrack N/AHow Beck BridgeLundsTrack Mid to late 18th centuryIIBeck Side bridgeLundsTrack N/ABlades footbridgeLundsFootpath N/AUnnamed trackLundsTrack N/AYore House Farm bridgeLundsTrack N/AThwaite BridgeThwaiteRoadN/AThwaite road bridgeThwaiteRoadN/ACarries the A684 road over the riverUnnamed bridgeAppersettTrackN/AAppersett New BridgeAppersettRoadMid to late 19th centuryIICarries the A684 roadHaylands BridgeHawesRoadLate 18th, early 19th centuryIICarries Brunt Acres Road over the riverYore BridgeBainbridgeRoad1793IIBuilt by John Carr of YorkWorton BridgeWortonRoadN/AHarper Wath (Turn Hole) FootbridgeAysgarthPedestrian bridgeN/AYore BridgeAysgarthRoad16th centuryIIHas a single span of over the river.Lords BridgeWest WittonRoad (private)1733IIWensley BridgeWensleyRoad15th centuryIIA bridge probably existed before the current one. It was repaired in the 17th century, and widened in 1812.Middleham BridgeMiddlehamRoad1830IIAltered and repaired in 1865 after being damaged by cattle "which were being driven across the bridge, getting into step" according to local legend.Ulshaw BridgeUlshawRoad16th centuryIIKilgram BridgeRookwithRoad12th centurySMMasham BridgeMashamRoad1754IIBuilt to replace an earlier bridge on the site.Tanfield BridgeWest TanfieldRoadIIBuilt to replace a ferry crossing on the same siteNorth BridgeRipon/Ure BankRoadIIHas been repaired and widened many timesDuchess of Kent BridgeRiponRoad20 March 1996N/AOpened by the Duchess of Kent; carries the A61 Ripon bypass over the River Ure, and is sited mostly on the foundations of the Ure Viaduct, which carried the railway.Hewick BridgeCopt HewickRoad18th centuryIIA1(M) bridge (Arrows Bridge)BoroughbridgeMotorwayNovember 1995N/AA 3-span motorway bridge with a length of .A168 bridge ([Old] Arrows Bridge)BoroughbridgeRoad1963N/ABorough BridgeBoroughbridgeRoad1562IICarries the B6265 through Boroughbridge. It was widened in 1785 and repaired in 1969.Aldwark BridgeAldwarkFootbridgeN/AAldwark Toll BridgeAldwarkRoad1772II
References
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