Visit theEsk Valley

History & heritage ยท Westerdale

Hunter's Sty Bridge

A medieval packhorse bridge over the infant Esk, restored by the Victorians in fine Gothic style.

Photo: AsgardWarrior, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hunter's Sty Bridge crosses the Esk just below Westerdale village, where the river is barely a few strides wide. It is medieval in origin, one of a series of packhorse bridges built by the monks who farmed the dales, and was restored in the 1870s by the Duncombe family of Duncombe Park with pointed arches and parapets.

It is a lovely, quiet spot, and a good short walk from the village for those following the Esk Valley Walk round the head of the dale.

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