River Calder at Copley - March 2015

 River Calder at Copley is a set of 6 pictures taken in March 2015 on an approx 1 mile stretch of the river from Copley Valley to the Village. The area around the river Calder at Copley Valley has seen major development since these pictures were taken, with new housing on the north bank of the river, new industrial units on the south side of the river, and a new bridge and roads linking the 2.

The majority of the site used to be covered by Sterne Mills, and the former Sowerby Bridge Sewage Works which had been opened in 1896. A mill had been on the site of Sterne Mills since at least the 18th century, but by the turn of the Millennium the site was unoccupied after the Standard Wire Company had moved away. The opposite banks of the river were originally a fording point until a wooden bridge was constructed, this was replaced by a single track concrete structure in 1914, and again by the current crossing a few years ago. The only remains of Sterne Mills today are the weir that powered the mill, and a sluice gate near the weir.

The pictures below were taken on the 8th March 2015 with a Polaroid is2132 camera, they can also be seen on Clickasnap, un-watermarked.

The former sluice gate is all that remains of the mills that once occupied the site.

The weir and modern bridge crossing, the 1914 bridge abutment can just be seen before the metal banking, behind the watermarked col.

The river passing Copley Village, the stone wall to the pictures left is all the remains of Edward Akroyd's Copley Mill which was demolished in 1974, the site is now covered by housing.

This picture was taken from the side of Copley Playing fields looking towards the bridge and wier.

Taken from the south bank, this path used to pass Sowerby Bridge Sewage Works, the site is now occupied by industrial units. I was told once that the river used to be navigable past this point until the canal came and weirs were built to power the mills.

The river again pictured here to the west of Sterne Mills Bridge, the north bank pictured across the river is now covered by housing on what was once considered a flood plain. Just about visible through the trees is the Halifax Bank's Copley Data Centre, opened in the mid 1980's the centre is earmarked for complete closure in 2025.

Clicking any image should open a link in another window to the un-watermarked, higher resolution version on Clickasnap.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Copley Valley, During Redevelopment

 Copley Valley is an area of Calderdale to the east of Sowerby Bridge, redeveloped in the early 2010's as industrial, housing and nature reserve.

Prior to the development the area was more commonly known as Milner Royd and you could find the remains of the Sowerby Bridge Sewage Works, a large dam which was popular with anglers until it was drained, Sterne Bridge (Built 1914), the old Standard Wire Factory and an area teaming with wildlife and nature. The area is bordered by the railway to the south, split down the middle by the River Calder and again bordered to the north by the Calder & Hebble Navigation Canal.

The pictures were taken in 2014 whilst the redevelopment was ongoing, the new road and bridge having been built and land set aside for the building of new industrial units, there are 5 which can be seen below or on ClickAsnap where they are full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

Copley Valley Nature Reserve, The picture was taken looking west with
my back towards Copley Viaduct. 

Copley Valley, this area which had been cleared for industrial units and
the new access road was the site of Sowerby Bridge Sewage Works opened
in 1896. The road passes over what was the dam, the water that filled it now
underground to the River Calder.

Hollas Lane Railway Bridge, built circa 1840 to carry the Manchester and
Leeds Railway over Hollas Lane.

Milner Royd Bridge carries Milner Royd Lane over the railway, closed
to the public by gates at both ends, the bridge used to be one of the main
walking / packhorse routes down from Norland to the valley bottom.

Milner Royd Signal Box, was still in operation when I took this picture
in 2014, closing in the summer of 2018. The box had been built in 1876 to
control the junction to the right of the picture where trains head off in the
directions of Brighouse or Halifax.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on social media.

Clicking any image will open a link in another window to the un-watermarked, higher resolution version on Clickasnap.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.