How many people have sat on this stone with a cross near to the bus stop at Brackenley Lane?

If you did then you were probably continuing a tradition many centuries old. The stone is a relatively rare example of a stone bridge repair authority markers, only found here and in Wharfedale. We also have another style of marker near to Haw Beck bridge, a cast iron marker bearing the letters WR. Before the county councils (or in our case the West Riding) took responsibility for all the roads and bridges, towns and villages were responsible for the roads that were within their boundaries. But there were some bridges which were seen as vital for the economy of the West Riding, and the county often paid for their construction and repair. The two bridges in Embsay were first mentioned in a List of Bridges drawn up in 1731 for the West Riding, recorded as ‘Bow Bridges in Embsay’. This implies that the West Riding saw that the two Embsay Bridges were as important to the economy of the county as were Bolton Bridge or Burnsall Bridge, which were on the same list.

The Stone marker sits some way away from the bridge over Embsay beck next to the Cavendish. If there was a causeway or approach to the bridge law stated that the markers were placed up to 300 ft from the end of the bridge. The 1847 Tithe map (see picture above) shows that there was a dam built to create a mill-pond to the north of the Skipton Road, the area now covered by the gardens and houses and possibly some of the car park for Embsay Mills. The 1847 map shows that this mill pond fed a cotton mill built across the road next to Embsay Beck. But the field names imply that a very early corn mill stood here (before it was replaced by a more efficient corn mill in Mill Gill opposite the Manor House on Pasture Rd). The stone marker seems to be placed at the end of this dam or causeway leading up to the bridge. The Yorkshire Dales National Park archaeology records say that there was a second stone cross marker on the opposite side of the bridge, but this has been buried or lost. We would be very interested to know if anyone remembers where it was.

The cast iron bridge marker is on the east side of the bridge crossing Haw Beck. It has been partially buried over time, so it is not as tall as it once was. The WR markings show that it was placed by the West Riding to show they accepted the responsibility of the repair of the bridge and road up to that point.   The cast iron markers were placed at some time in the second half of the eighteenth century, but the exact date is unclear.

It is thought that the stone marker is earlier than the cast iron marker. Similar stone markers can, for example, be seen at Bolton Bridge, which was mentioned in the earliest West Riding Lists of Bridges for 1601 and 1650. It is possible, therefore, that this is one of the oldest artefacts in the village. But, at the moment, there is no firm evidence to say for certain when they were erected.

Author:  Chris Lunnon. Embsay with Eastby Historical Research Group. March 2022