Whorlton Bridge

Halfway through today’s seven mile section of the Teesdale Way Path (from Barnard Castle to Winston) is Whorlton, a pretty little village whose lack of café, pub or even bench on the green is compensated in part by its splendid 1831 vintage suspension bridge spanning the broad Tees with a single track carriageway of timber planks; the tariff notice of the same vintage informs me that the toll to cross on foot is a penny (that’s an old penny – 1d) and 4d to cross in a horse drawn coach; thank goodness I didn’t bring a score of cows with me – that would have topped the lot at 5d.