Could this fascinating picture show a scene from our village during the Second World War? BM resident, Adrian 'Gunner' Mardon, found it on a social media thread from the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset which referred to the scene in the picture as being in the North of England. Adrian feels pretty certain that the scene is the river near Bishop Monkton opposite Newby Hall.

During the War, extensive use was made of so-called 'Bailey Bridges' - effectively kit bridges which could be carried in parts by advancing troops and then constructed on site. They were used particularly after the Normandy Landings in 1944 and the subsequent Allied push into Germany.

The area around Ripon was one of the main centres for the testing of these bridges and the training of troops to use them. The Army Bridging Camp on the river near Bishop Monkton was one of the sites where testing and training took place. Many people will be familiar with the Nissan huts which still remain there.

However, pictures of this actvity, perhaps unsurprisingly, are rare. Some pictures of testing of bridges on the army land to the west of Ripon were shown at the recent talk given by the Ripon Military Heritage Trust at the Local History Group meeting in September. Until now, however, pictures of the testing in Bishop Monkton have not been discovered.

Adrian, along with the Local History Group, is hoping to find out more about the picture. If you have any ideas, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us with any thoughts.

There's more about the Second World War history of the village on the Local History Group website