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Shepley bridge 1
Mirfield Shepley Bridge

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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20th August 1853

BALLOON DESCENT.—

About half-past seven o'clock on Wednesday evening last, a balloon, which had left the Royal Gardens, near Leeds, descended near Shepley Bridge, about half a mile from the Mirfield station. The man stated he left the gardens at seven o'clock, and the distance he had travelled would be about twelve miles. He alighted without the least accident. In a short time some hundreds of people had assembled.

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17th October 1867

COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT MIRFIELD. —

Last evening an inquest was held at Mirfield, on the body of Henry Ashton, coal miner, of Hopton, aged 22 years, who was killed on Monday last while following his occupation in a coal pit at Shepley Bridge, Mirfield, belonging to Mr. Chas, Wheatley. A fall of the roof in his working place was the cause of his death, he was crushed beneath a mass of stone and debris.

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3rd March 1887

A DEWSBURY MAN DROWNED AT MIRFIELD.—

Yesterday an inquest was held at the Ship Inn, Mirfield, on view of the body of Joseph O'Connor, labourer, of Dawgreen. On the 29th January the deceased left a grocer's shop near Shepley Bridge, at eleven o'clock at night. He was not seen again until his body was found floating in the river on Monday by a person named Rothery. It is supposed that he fell into the water in attempting to get on a boat where he was accustomed to sleep. A verdict of "Found drowned, without any marks of violence," was returned.

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17th September 1877

DEWSBURY.—

Owing to the extraordinary fall of rain on Friday night, the river Calder overflowed its banks on Saturday, causing a large amount of damage. The river rose higher than has been the case for eleven years. The basements of several buildings were filled with water, and the meadows adjoining the river were flooded. At Mirfield the roadway at Shepley Bridge was covered with water, rendering travelling impossible. A large quantity of wheat was washed down the river.

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8th April 1896

ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY AT MIRFIELD.

An accident of some importance to the company occurred yesterday on the railway at Mirfield station on the viaduct close to the Shepley Bridge crossing the river Calder. The viaduct is too narrow, and suggestions have been made more than once that it should be widened, so as to carry four pairs of rails like the permanent way east and west. It seems that between two and three o'clock a Lancashire and Yorkshire goods train was going at a slow speed out of the station in the direction of Cooper Bridge and Brighouse, and from the opposite way, and on its proper line, of course, another train of the same kind was slowing in. The engine and some of the waggons of the first passed the points, and then by some mischance a waggon left the metals and collided with the other train, the result being that other vehicles were thrown off their respective lines, and both, of course, blocked. None of the railway servants were injured in any way. The noise of the collision drew a number of servants of the company to the place, and break-down gangs were wired for. In a comparatively short time they arrived, and the work of clearing the permanent way went forward, and was carried out as quickly as possible under the circumstances. Traffic was blocked for about four hours.

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