Devil ’ s Bridge , River Lune , Yorkshire Dales
A legendary bridge , dating to at least the 13th Century , said to be constructed by Lucifer himself after an old woman tricked him into agreeing to build it in exchange for the first soul to cross it . Once complete the old woman sent her dog over . Which presumably is seen as a win … unless you ’ re the dog .
The River Lune flows gently under it , unless local , heavy rain has been experienced , and the depth is never more than a few metres . Snorkelling the river under the bridge gives a unique perspective to this stone edifice not only in terms of seeing the submerged construction that tourists miss but also from the centre of the river to appreciate the symmetry .
Underwater you ’ ll find small watercarved sections , scalloped rock surfaces as well as trout and eels .
Holne Bridge , River Dart , Devon
I ’ m sure with rain the visibility can reduce and the difficulty can increase , but the many times I ’ ve visited this spot , it ’ s always been idyllic . A small weir downstream from the bridge , one that ’ s very safe in good snorkelling conditions , allows for some
A cheeky surface selfie at Devil ’ s Bridge
deeper water at around a metre or two . The deepest point is beneath the bridge where the sunlight and shadows make for some interesting vistas . Here , small shoals of minnows play among the tree roots and a duck-diving snorkeller can lie on the riverbed and look back up through the clear water at the bridge above .
Birk ’ s Bridge , River Duddon , Cumbria
First recommended to me by Andy Clark , AKA Andy The Northern Diver , this 18th
Century packhorse bridge arches over a little stretch of water that reminds of some of the spots I ’ ve snorkelled in the Lot region of France . It ’ s smaller in scale to the others , but shares many of the geological features that make these sites work well . Underwater , you get clean bedrock or pebble bottom and rock banks , both of which give the best potential for good visibility . On top of this , you get some fascinating geology , generally clean water and the chance to view a piece of architectural history from a unique perspective . �
For more information on snorkelling with BSAC go to bsac . com / snorkelling Looking to introduce snokelling into your club ? Find out more at bsac . com / snorkellinginstructor
Bridge of Orchy , Highlands 65