The Legend of Devil's Bridge
- Holly Sadler
- Apr 16, 2023
- 2 min read
An iconic, three-arched, medieval bridge, dating from the 12th or 13th century and allegedly constructed by the Devil himself.
Spanning across the River Lune, Devil’s bridge is associated with a legend that can be found throughout Britain, with variations from different regions.
As the tale goes - an elderly farmers wife set out to bring her cattle in for the day, only to find that one of her herd had strayed to the far side of the river.
The river had since swelled with recent rain water and proved impassable to the old woman. As her attempts to coax her cow back to her side of the river became increasingly desperate, a dark and mysterious figure appeared.
It was the Devil himself.
He told her that he would build her a bridge to allow her to cross the river and retrieve her cow, but only in return for the soul of the first living thing to cross it.
The Devil was well aware that the woman’s husband was on his way home from the market, and it was his intention to claim the mans soul.
The farmers wife agreed to the bargain and the Devil constructed the grand stone bridge, that we are still able to admire today, with his own hands.
His handprints can still be found on one of the foundation stones at the centre of the bridge.
Once the bridge was built, the old woman saw her husband approaching from the distance and realised the Devil’s intention all along! Calling her dog (horror!) to her, she tossed a loaf of bread across the bridge. Rushing to retrieve it, the dog became the first living thing to cross the Devil’s bridge, robbing him of his human prize!
Furious at being tricked by the old woman, the Devil released a high pitched scream of rage before throwing himself over the side of the bridge, disappearing in a cloud of brimstone as he hit the water.
Whether you believe the legend or not, Devil’s Bridge is a monumental icon of the towns history and well worth a visit if you’re ever in the area. It's also an ever-popular spot for motorcycle enthusiasts who congregate there at weekends in the adjoining car park area over a brew and a bacon butty from the bridge’s famous butty van.
