Welcome to YHA

Volunteering

There are currently no volunteering opportunities at YHA Bridges. Please visit YHA Volunteering to see what opportunities are available at YHA.

Meet the Team

Manager Mick recommends: Just relax and enjoy walking in the peace and quiet of this beautiful area, before returning to the comfort of your tranquil rural retreat.

History

The hostel takes its name from the three bridges which span the East Onny River and Darnford Brook. It was built as a village school in 1866, commissioned by Lady Scott, Lady of the Manor of Wetnor and Ratlinghope. She built the school for the children of her employees, seeking to encourage her workers to stay with her, rather than join the drift to the factories of Industrial England.

The stone for the building came mainly from a local quarry near Norbury, though some of the windowsills are of Cotswold stone. The bell-tower is still standing, but it has lost its pointed top and the original bell, soon to be re-built. The back of the building was originally the school teacher’s house, the school rooms, divided by glass partitions, being at the front.

The building did not survive long as a school - there were not enough children in the area - and for a while it was left largely unused. In 1931 it became a Youth Hostel, making it one of the oldest in the country. It appeared in the first English handbook. Until 1968 the toilets were ‘holes in the ground’ and washing was done in the stream. An old Hostel duty was to hand-pump water from the stream into the Hostel. In the summer of 1991 the Bridges came into the ownership of Michael Boulton. It has since been run in a traditional manner, intentionally sustaining those elements that have made it so popular whilst bringing the facilities more closely in tune with modern experiences.

Access Statement

At YHA Bridges we strive to cater for everybody. We have a bedroom on the ground floor with ramp access and an accessible en-suite bathroom.

We also have:

• Ramp access into hostel
• Another en-suite room on the ground floor
• Step free access to communal areas on ground floor

For more information please download the full access statement here (53KB)

For a list of our accessible hostels please visit our Accessibility page.

YHA Membership

YHA members get up to £3 off each night of their stay plus other benefits like high street discounts and access to the exclusive YHA membership newsletter, The Wanderer. Sign up to start saving here.