Shepley Bridge was an accommodation bridge. All canal acts of parliament had a clause to accommodate landowners (the Shepleys of Rhode (Shepley) Mill in this case) whose land was split by the canal by the provision of a bridge at the canal company's expense. This is why they are known as Accommodation Bridges.
Shepley Bridge, scene of Chartist unrest in 1842:
On Wednesday, 10th August 1842, about 200 men marched on Shepley Mill. The mill owner, Mr. Shepley and a parcel of men assembled on the canal bridge and were told by the mob that "they wanted the hands turned out of the mill". Shepley stopped the mill and turned out the 500 to 600 workers. This was part of the General Strike by the Chartists who were afraid that the North Wests mill workers wages were to be cut by half.