Otley Bridge, Otley, Leeds Conservation Management
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OTLEY BRIDGE, OTLEY, LEEDS CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared by: Kathryn Sather & Associates, Architectural Conservation Consultants, 25, Oldfield Road, ALTRINCHAM. WA14 4EQ Tel: 0161 941 1414 REVISED DRAFT October 2006 Otley Bridge, Otley, Leeds: Conservation Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1 Background Information .....................................3 Section 2 Understanding the Site........................................4 2.1 Development of Otley Bridge..............................4 2.2 Historical and Social Context............................23 2.3 Management Information .................................32 Section 3 Statement of Significance .................................34 3.1 Overview of Significance ..................................34 3.2 Schedule of Significance..................................35 Section 4 Issues and Vulnerability....................................36 Section 5 Conservation Management Policies.................38 5.1 Conservation Policy Aims.................................38 5.2 A Conservation Philosophy ..............................38 5.3 Appropriate Uses .............................................39 5.4 Priorities for Repair and Conservation..............39 5.5 The Conservation Management Policies ..........40 Section 6 Maintenance Plan...............................................44 Section 7 Sources ..............................................................45 Appendix 1: Articles of Agreement for Repair of Bridge, 1775. 47 Appendix 2: Scheduled Monument Record ...............................50 Appendix 3: Map showing Area of Parkland...............................51 Appendix 4: Gazetteer .................................................................53 1. 13 th Century Section of Bridge including Barrel Arches, Spandrels, Piers and Fill Material.....................53 2. 18 th Century Section of Bridge including Barrel Arches, Spandrels, Piers and Fill Material.....................57 3: The Arches at the N and S Ends of the Bridge...................62 4: The Parapets .....................................................................65 5: Cantilevered Pedestrian Footbridge...................................68 6: 20 th Century Road Surface.................................................71 Appendix 5: Principal Inspection Report on Otley Bridge Leeds. ............................................................................73 Appendix 6: Otley Bridge L90: Underwater Inspection............102 Details of Ordnance Survey (OS) Maps are printed under Map Copying Licence 100046131 Kathryn Sather & Associates DRAFT Page 2 Otley Bridge, Otley, Leeds: Conservation Management Plan Section 1 Background Information Otley Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It is also the focal point of the Riverside area of the Otley Conservation Area. Otley Bridge carries the B6451 over the River Wharfe and links the two halves of Otley Town. The next river crossing is over two miles away at Pool to the east or over five miles to the west at Ilkley. The eastern part dates back to 1228, when the Archbishop of York, titular Lord of the Manor of Otley, had it built to provide a more direct route to York. It was substantially rebuilt, including widening on the western side, in 1775-6, planned and overseen by John Gott, subsequently Surveyor of Bridges for the West Riding of Yorkshire. Growth of traffic in the twentieth century and demands for a safe pedestrian crossing resulted in the addition of a cantilevered pedestrian walkway on the western side in 1957. This is now inadequate and the masonry structure of the bridge is in need of substantial maintenance. Furthermore the bridge needs to be further widened in order to comply with Highway safety standards. The Bridge is owned and maintained by Leeds City Council, who have proposed a project to undertake refurbishment of the bridge, including the proposed removal of the 1950’s cantilevered footway, widening of the bridge to provide standard width carriageways and a pedestrian footway, waterproofing and significant repairs to the masonry. The project to repair and alter the bridge is being undertaken by the Bridges Section of the Development Department, who commissioned this Conservation Management Plan. The aim of the plan is to help retain the significance of the historical structure of Otley Bridge, recognising that the bridge has changed significantly over 800 years and that not all elements will be of equal significance. The conclusions of the plan will inform the proposals for conservation and refurbishment and will be used to assess the impact of the proposed alterations, both in the short term and in the future. The geographical scope of the plan covers Otley Bridge and its immediate setting. The plan has been prepared by Kathryn Sather and Associates. The plan draws on the 1998 Bridge Assessment, recent Inspections and the 2004 Feasibility Study. As a Scheduled Monument, works of alteration require a Consent from English Heritage, as well as Planning Permission from Leeds City Council. Local, regional and national stakeholders will be consulted on the draft of this plan, including Otley Town Council, Otley Museum, the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service, Leeds City Council Planning Section, including the Conservation Officer, English Heritage, the Ancient Monuments Society, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the Georgian Group. Following consultation, it is expected that all of the stakeholders will adopt the Conservation Management Plan. Kathryn Sather & Associates DRAFT Page 3 Otley Bridge, Otley, Leeds: Conservation Management Plan Section 2 Understanding the Site 2.1 Development of Otley Bridge 2.1.1 Function and Description of Otley Bridge in 21 st Century Otley Bridge carries the B6451 over the River Wharfe and links the two halves of Otley Town. Bridge Street (originally named Northgate) runs from the Anglo-Saxon and medieval centre of the town with the church and market place to the north and downhill to the river. Across the river it becomes Billams Hill, connected to the medieval villages of Newall and Clifton and on to Ripon and York. The next river crossing is over two miles away at Pool to the east or over five miles to the west at Ilkley. The masonry bridge is about 25-30 foot high and 70 yards long. It consists of seven semi-circular arches of differing span. The five central arches are ribbed in half their width longitudinally in the arch construction on the downstream (eastern) side, representing the original early thirteenth century bridge. The original bridge has been widened upon the western or upstream side in the eighteenth century and an additional arch added at each end to afford a wider passage for the water, as the river is prone to flooding. The arches of the western section and the two end arches are not ribbed. A detailed description of the bridge and its constituent parts is provided in the gazetteer. 2.1.2 A Bridge of Several Periods - Overview and Local Context The original bridge dates back to the thirteenth century. Whereas many bridges of similar age on the River Wharfe or elsewhere were washed away and rebuilt (such as Ilkley), or were demolished and replaced to accommodate changing traffic patterns, Otley Bridge contains elements of three distinct periods of building: the original bridge of 1228/9; the repairing, widening and lengthening of the bridge in 1775/6 and the addition of the cantilevered footbridge in 1957. In addition there are documented repairs and change from the nineteenth century, such as the new parapet. Its evolution results both from the need for repair due to the river’s proclivity to flood and from the mid-eighteenth century onwards a steady increase in traffic. Kathryn Sather & Associates DRAFT Page 4 Otley Bridge, Otley, Leeds: Conservation Management Plan Otley Bridge, showing 13 th century ribbing, 1775/6 widening, 1808 new parapet and flood damage to a pier (OB PH 15, date unknown, pre-1931) On the south bank to the west of Bridge Street was the site of the medieval manor; the current Manor House dates from 1784 and adjacent to it is the former Prince Henry’s Grammar School, dating back to 1614 but substantially altered in 1790. The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady and All Saints, built in 1851 stands on the west side of the street opposite the Bridge Church of 1889 on the east side of the street, with the 1879 All Saints School (formerly Board School) behind it. Between these and the river Manor Street terraced housing was built between 1891 and 1901. The open space to the east of Bridge Street, now used for parking, was the site of an earlier cattle market. Drawing by John Carr To the east (downstream) there is a weir some 200 yards away, now serving a working papermill, on the site of the twelfth century manorial corn mill. This retains water channels and the waterwheel pits from the original water power of the earlier mill. The north bank in the immediate environment of the bridge is characterised by late nineteenth century terraced housing built between 1891 and 1901 of Farnley Lane, Bridge Avenue and Newall Mount. To the west are the Queen Ann gateposts and walls of the Farnley Hall estate which the Fawkes family donated to the town of Otley in 1924 and is now Wharfemeadows Park. This has become a focal point for leisure activity, especially water-related activity. The mature trees on both sides of the river contribute to the timeless feel of the bridge in its setting. Kathryn Sather & Associates DRAFT Page 5 Otley Bridge, Otley, Leeds: