'White bridge' Clarence/North Street

[mike59]

Hi,
Looking for info for a footbridge which apparently crossed the Lyme pit rail line, from Clarence/North Street
and then took you by footpath towards Haydock.

I personally have never heard of it, but am assured by an elderly friend, (who has been searching for years for
a photo of it) that it did exist.

Having looked at the old maps on the site, the 1972 aerial photo does seem to show a structure over the line.
He refers it to the ' White Bridge ' and would be grateful if anyone had a photo/image, or any information
they may care to share.

Also, for my own interest, what would have been the purpose of this bridge, an extension of the footpath ?
or perhaps a route for the Colliery workers from the estate, to their place of work.

Regards, Mike

[Podstar66]

I too remember the bridge, and I am far from elderly 40 something hehe
I would imagine it was just for crossing the railway line safely, and to link up with the footpath that lead to Vista Road, via a subway which went through the embankment, the bricked up archway of the subway still remains.
I asked my dad about the bridge, he says it was a concrete bridge, so I guess it would have been white. He guesses it would have been knocked down around the late 1980s early 1990s.
I remember that it looked odd and out of place, as the railway line was long gone, and it was just as easy to cut through the cutting, as up and over the bridge.

Pod

[fish66]

we used to live in athol st unil it was pulled down about 1973, i remember playing on the bridge as a child it was a sort of sandstone colour with ornate mouldings some of the steps had pieces missing, it would never be allowed these days, the top half of clarence st had long gone by then. I would love to see a photo of it.

[margaretgreenwood]

Hi
I too remember this bridge. I used to play on it as a child in the mid 1950's. It crossed the old railway line. There used to be a fishing pit I seem to remember over on the left on the far side. The rest of the area was just fields then.
I

[neileen]

berrys pit was over to the left, at the foot of the rucks