Barden Bridge

Barden Bridge

This metal sign is located on the river Wharfe near Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire. Unfortunately it is a bit warped!

The height of the poles makes me wonder if there was once a second sign plate above the current one. If so, it might have pointed to the Strid, a well-known section of the Wharfe where the river flows in a narrow, rocky channel, the huge volumes of water creating immense pressure and depth - much of which is non-obvious from the path above, where the Strid looks like nothing more than a completely innocuous woodland stream. So much so that ominous notices have been erected along the path to warn that "the Strid has claimed lives in the past" and encourage passers-by to keep well away from the edge.