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Ravensthorpe?
Well I suppose it's on the way there!
This view of Shepley Bridge shows a typical Yorkshire Keel barge, barges of
this type were operated for well over 150 years, the last commercial journey being made in 1981. These locally built wooden vessels could carry 50 to 60 tons of cargo. In the early days they
were towed along by a single horse and if the wind was favourable a single square rigged sail could be erected. The horses eventually gave way to diesel power but the basic design remained
unchanged.
The length of the River Calder from Shepley Bridge to Ledgard Bridge is no longer considered navigable, but during the 1800's barges would regularly take on cargo at moorings near Boat
House Lane, The Flowerpot and The Yorkshire Volunteer.
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