As late as 1872 the few people living in Burnley Wood had to use stepping stones to cross the River Calder at this point. In times of flood this could be dangerous and in the records it is recorded that two poeple died during one stage. The town council eventually responded by spending £45 to provide a wooden footbridge. This was inadequate and the locals were only appeased when they bulit a wider bridge in 1883 at the cost of £2,000. This has now been replaced by a newer and stronger bridge.

The appellation, handbridge, given first to a little wooden bridge, survived when the stone bridge was built by the Burnley and Rochdale Turnpike Trust in 1817.

On the Towneley side of the bridge you would have seen the best example of the mason's marks in Burnley. These are thought to be the doudlings in stone of the masons. Interesting, two dates were incorporated into those "hieroglyphics," 1833 and 1866 Elley B.W.C.A.G