h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

People may be familiar with the modern single span suspension bridge across the River Humber near Hull. As a child I watched it being built and remember it opening in 1981, at 2220m it was the longest bridge of its kind back then. Fewer people will know of the near 200 year old suspension bridge nearby, across the River Ancholme at Horkstow, completed in 1836 and at 42m long a fraction of the length of the Humber Bridge but just as big a feat of engineering in its day.

One day this Summer, my sister and I set out walking along the Viking Way footpath from the Lincolnshire end of the Humber Bridge to Horkstow to compare suspension bridges. The modern one is a monster, busy with traffic and the towers, erm, towering over riverside onlookers. By the time we reached Horkstow village we were back in rural Lincolnshire, difficult to believe this area was a hive of brick making industry back in the 19th century, hence the need for the bridge.

To reach it, we followed a signpost 'to the bridge' down a tiny country lane that soon petered out into a dirt track. Then we spotted the stone towers and the wooden roadway curving up from the approach road. The bridge has suffered from the attentions of vandals and graffitti artists and is not currently safe to drive over, but we walked carefully across the span, looking down on the river Ancholme below. No sign of the old industries that needed the Horkstow Bridge - just a cement works further downriver and lots of swallows that seemed to be roosting there.

A bit of local industrial heritage discovered, we followed the footpath along the banks of the River Ancholme towards the Humber and back to the 21st century pace of life.

Horkstow, Lincolnshire, supposedly the place where John Span, Old Steeleye, did his master, John Bowlin, in. The folk song of the tale, Horkstow Grange where Steeleye Span found their name.

[Amy P]