THE stone bridge at Acton was the original bridge over the river and the route of what is now the A49.

When the river was made navigable from Frodsham to Winsford, a separate cut was inserted to carry shipping and a swing bridge installed over it. You can still see evidence of this on both sides of the river by the Leigh Arms garden with raised handrails to prevent horses from jumping into the river below.

When Dutton Locks were being built the licensee of the present Leigh Arms was Henry Bowers who took over in 1871 from his mother.

One night he took his dog for a walk by the river and it was his last walk on this earth. The following morning his battered body was found floating against the lock, his dog was never found.

The murder was never detected, even by special constables who had been brought in to patrol the area and control the carousing navvies.

The sleepy life of this area was interrupted in the 1930s when The Return of Bulldog Drummond was filmed in the area, possibly because famous Hollywood actress Ann Todd came from Hartford.

In one scene a Bentley car is seen to career down Acton Hill, crashing through the fence into the river near the stone bridge.

The present swing bridge was opened on November 27, 1933.

At this time the road was also re-aligned and the old stone bridge simply led to the small island now used as a mooring and boatyard.

By writer and historian Paul Hurley