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Roads and bridges

Introduction

In Medieval and Early Modern times, roads and tracks around 'Calderdale' were rough, and travelling by way of them was difficult. By the late 18th Century, however, new turnpikes were coming into existence, and though not of the standard we expect today they were a huge improvement on the earlier tracks and made communication between towns much easier.

Bridges across the local rivers were also critical to travellers, though the safety of bridges in earlier centuries could not always be guaranteed. The Sterne Bridge in Copley was just one example of a structure with a tragic tale attached.

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