The current iron bridge was built in 1936 and replaced the previous 'swing bridge' which was of suspension design and built in 1910. Slow to change, the locals of the village still refer to this crossing as the 'swing bridge' some 80 years later!!
Built on an ancient shallow fording point, the lanes that lead up to this bridge are over a thousand year old. The romans crossed here and the church up on the hill was established on the site of an ancient holy place.
The village green to the south of the bridge was where the rivermen that plyed the river would moor their narrow boats. Helperby was the highest navigable point on the river Swale which made Helperby into the important transaport hub that it once was. At one point, it is reputed that there were as many as 16 public houses in the village to keep the rivermen in beer!!