With free parking, picnic tables and a butty van that serves great food, Devil’s Bridge is used to catering for the families who flock to it in the summer months, along with divers who train under its depths and the motorcyclists on a day out.
Spanning the River Lune to the south and east of Kirkby Lonsdale this three-arched bridge is thought to date back to the 12th or 13th century, and is a scheduled ancient monument.
If you look carefully at the bridge you’ll find a deep impression in the stone, known locally as the Devil’s hand print. There is, of course, a tale attached: Once upon a time there was an old woman lived on the banks of the Lune. One night her cow strayed across the river and couldn’t be tempted back. The Devil appeared and offered to build a bridge in exchange for the soul of the first body to cross it. He constructed the bridge himself and left a print in the wet stone.
The woman met him at the bridge, took a bun from her bag and threw it across the bridge. Her small dog went to retrieve it. The devil howled in anger at being tricked before vanishing forever.
