33:
260:(1959) stated that the first bridge was built in the last quarter of the 13th century, and made from oak wood. The length of sections between piers were not uniform but were determined by the varying lengths of timber available. The bridge was rebuilt in stone in the 14th century with arch piers around this wooden bridge, using it as a form of scaffolding, thus the arches are not uniform in width but vary in the same proportion as the wooden lintels of the original bridge. Two other traditional explanations for the varying spans exist. Firstly that each arch was funded by a different local
421:
201:
449:
the trustees were forced to resign. When one of the arches of the bridge collapsed in 1968 the
Department of Transport thenceforth assumed responsibility for the bridge. The history of the Bridge and its records is available in a booklet published by the Trust - 'The Long Bridge of Bideford Through the Centuries' by Frank Whiting and Peter Christie
313:(d.1640) claimed to have seen "a large catalogue containing the names of the bridge's benefactors wherein few families of any eminence in these western parts were omitted to be registered". It was at the time far from any main road, so is presumed to have been built mainly for the convenience of the townspeople. On 5 December 1396 Bishop of Exeter
224:) and a very large fluctuation in water levels occurs twice daily under the bridge. An ancient New Year's Eve tradition was to try to run across the Long Bridge during the time taken for the bells of St. Mary's parish church, near the west end, to chime midnight. A sight enjoyed by many in the winter months is of the
289:
in
Cornwall, and father of Sir Theobald III Grenville. Sir Theobald Grenville II was the son and heir of Henry de Grenville, and was aged 4 at the death of his father when he was granted in wardship to Sir John Carew. He was knighted on attaining his majority aged 21, and was, according to Granville
219:
on the left bank (west side) with East-the-Water on the right bank (east side). It is one of the longest mediaeval bridges in
England, being 677 feet (222 yards) long with 24 arches. In 1790 the bridge was the longest in Devon. It remained the furthest downstream bridge on the river until 1987, when
264:
and built piecemeal; secondly that the piers of the arches were built on naturally existing and therefore randomly situated large stones in the river. The existence of a bridge before that built or rebuilt traditionally by Sir
Theobald Grenville is confirmed by a bequest of 40 shillings in the will
457:
In 1886 a Ship called 'Edward
Birkbeck' launched from a Bideford shipyard hit the bridge, but only caused small damage by knocking some of the stones out. In 1925 another incident took place on the bridge, during its widening, when a lorry came off the side of the bridge and crashed into the River
448:
The
Bideford Bridge Trust held responsibility for the long bridge until 1968. During the first decade of the 17th century the bridge trustees were taken to court by the townspeople for using the trust's funds "for feasting and seeing plays". The townspeople won the case although it is not known if
384:. He thus was incited to set forward the charitable work of founding a bridge, and gained to his cause the lord of the manor of Bideford Sir Theobald Grenville. Gornard disclosed his vision to the Bishop of Exeter, according to Fuller Bishop
406:"succeeding bishops in their distinct times did contribute alms and divulge benedictions to every man and woman that should be benefactotrs...causing it to be published in churches, in the cathedral church of Exeter and throughout the whole
375:
Prince relates that before the building of the bridge the crossing over the broad and at times rough river was a dangerous action and frequently resulted in deaths from drowning. The parish priest of
Bideford, Richard Gornard (or Gurney),
470:
the 10th arch of the bridge was being repaired, the police asked for ladders and scaffolding to be removed from the bridge to prevent potential invaders climbing up and capturing the bridge, during the war the home guard patrolled there.
402:"the greater personages allowed a certain number of workmen and some lands towards it, the common people some weeks, others a month's work, all striving...according to their utmost abilities for the furtherance of so charitable a design"
538:
787:
Granville, Roger, (Rector of
Bideford), History of the Granville Family Traced Back to Rollo, First Duke of the Normans, With Pedigrees etc., Exeter, 1895, p.54, footnote
684:
Granville, Roger, (Rector of
Bideford), History of the Granville Family Traced Back to Rollo, First Duke of the Normans, With Pedigrees etc., Exeter, 1895, p.53, footnote
980:
458:
Torridge; it is believed that both the people in the lorry survived. During the 1968 repair of a collapsed arch a crane toppled over on the bridge and a man was killed.
436:
was thus situated at the end of the tidal reach and was a destination for cargos of limestone. A proposal was made in the 1820s for the bridge to be converted to a
955:
985:
378:"was admonished by a vision in his sleep to set on the foundation of a bridge near a rock which he should find rolled from the higher grounds upon the strand"
965:
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which would enable the centre section to be raised to allow masted ships to pass under it upstream. The bridge was widened in 1865 and again in 1925.
50:
220:
the
Torridge A39 Road Bridge was built a mile or so further downstream at Northam. The river is still tidal at Bideford (and as far upstream as
637:
610:
349:
512:
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It was considered until the 18th century very high "so that a bark of 60 or 70 tuns may pass and re-pass under the arches and between the
32:
204:
Bideford Long Bridge over River Torridge. Viewed from Bideford side looking downstream (north) with East-the-Water on the far (east) side
480:
352:. In fact the foundations are firmly fixed, although the bridge according to Prince "seems to shake at the slightest step of a horse".
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329:(reigned 1420–1455). The last episcopal indulgence in connection with repairs to the bridge was granted in 1503 by Bishop of Exeter
239:
over the Taw, is a few miles away. A large scale model of the Long Bridge in all its stages from 1280 to 1925 is displayed at the
572:
281:, (1643–1723) to have been built in the 14th century and chiefly financed, according to Prince, by Sir Theobald II Grenville (d.
970:
330:
37:
Bideford Long Bridge, looking downstream from Upcott Hill. Beyond closer to the estuary is the A39 Road Bridge built in 1987
420:
43:
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Shipping in the form of barges had long passed under the bridge to be carried by the incoming tide 2 miles upstream to
321:("towards the construction or repair of the long bridge of Bideford"). Later in 1437 and 1444 two further indulgences
716:
Vivian, J.L., The Visitation of the County of Cornwall in the year 1620, London, 1874, pp.84-6, pedigree of Grenville
410:'that they should participate of all spiritual blessings forever that would encourage and promote so good a work'"
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in 1347. He married Joyce Beaumont, according to Granville (1895), daughter of Thomas Beaumont, Earl of Mellant (
851:
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432:, loaded with stone, sand and sea-coal, and bringing back on the outgoing tide cargos of wood, fuel and corn.
901:
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325:("to the new-building, sustaining or repair of Bideford Bridge") were granted by Bishop of Exeter
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367:, Staffordshire, demolished in 1864. which was 515 yards long, 15 feet wide and had 36 arches.
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While one of the larger medieval bridges, it was exceeded by others, such as the almost intact
975:
633:
606:
513:"Bridges: Past & Future. The current state of knowledge and proposals for future research"
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near its estuary and connects the old part of the town, and formerly important river port, of
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and licences to collect the benevolence of all the brethren and sisters within his bishopric"
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Other donors were the families of "Goldneye" (or Gurney) and Oketenet, which according to
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Traffic and Politics: The Construction and Management of Rochester Bridge, AD 43-1993
429:
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902:"Lorry crash on the bridge, 1925; 1925; 76 - Burton Art Gallery and Museum on eHive"
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768:(d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.282
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317:(ruled 1395–1419) granted an indulgence to all true penitents who should assist
277:
The stone original of the present arched bridge is said by the Devon biographer
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thereof", (Prince) although with its masts struck. Tradition states that, like
573:"BIDEFORD BRIDGE INCLUDING PARAPET WALLS AND GATES OF EAST ABUTMENT (1200873)"
539:"An Essay Towards a History of Bideford, in the County of Devon - Google Play"
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395:
236:
65:
52:
655:, A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p.336
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323:"ad novam constructionem sustentationem seu reparacionem pontis de Bydeford"
225:
729:& Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.176
501:& Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.176
382:"whose greatness argued its being in that place to be only the work of God"
216:
96:
380:. In the morning he went to the river bank and found there a huge rock
228:
at dusk, as they come in large flocks to roost underneath the bridge.
923:
348:, an allusion to the great wealth generated by the wool-trade to the
231:
It is a Grade I listed building. Another major medieval bridge, the
924:"Newspages for the Bideford and district community. | Page 3"
419:
261:
199:
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309:(1608-1661) were locally powerful families. The Devon historian
319:"ad constructionem seu reparacionem longi pontis de Bydeford"
706:, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, p.441
838:"Burton on Trent Local History » Old Trent Bridge"
388:(reigned 1280–1291), but corrected by Prince to Bishop
302:. The bridge was probably built during his minority.
852:"Burton on Trent Local History » Early History"
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Prince, p.441, quoting Fuller's Worthies of England
400:. The appeal for funds was cheerfully received and
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269:(d.1326) for the maintenance of Bideford Bridge.
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285:1377), lord of the manors of Bideford and of
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424:A locomotive crossing the Long Bridge, 1917
290:(1895) but not supported by other sources,
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626:Nigel Yates; James Melvin Gibson (1994).
981:Industrial archaeological sites in Devon
809:, Old and New London, 1872, vol.2, p.10
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956:Bridges completed in the 14th century
350:economy of England in the Middle Ages
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986:Buildings and structures in Bideford
632:. Boydell & Brewer. p. 48.
392:(reigned 1327–1369), who sent forth
481:List of bridges over River Torridge
578:National Heritage List for England
111:Bideford Bridge Trust (until 1968)
14:
966:Grade I listed buildings in Devon
605:. Thomas Telford. pp. 57–8.
359:and the old long bridge over the
31:
519:. Medieval Settlement Research
158:
1:
408:diocese of Devon and Cornwall
517:archaeologydataservice.ac.uk
1002:
416:Widening & alterations
344:, its piers were built on
891:Per brass memorial plaque
211:in North Devon spans the
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961:Stone bridges in England
747:Granville, 1895, pp.52-3
124:Torridge A39 Road Bridge
114:Department for Transport
16:Bridge in Devon, England
670:12 January 2016 at the
971:Grade I listed bridges
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258:William George Hoskins
233:Barnstaple Long Bridge
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738:Granville, 1895, p.54
694:Granville, 1895, p.54
674:is North Devon site:
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333:(reigned 1502–1504).
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153:677 feet (206 m)
599:R. A. Otter (1994).
265:of Bishop of Exeter
256:The Devon historian
243:museum in the town.
209:Bideford Long Bridge
99:and East-the-Water,
25:Bideford Long Bridge
267:Walter de Stapledon
62: /
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357:Swarkestone Bridge
241:Burton at Bideford
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66:51.0165°N 4.2034°W
807:Thornbury, Walter
727:Pevsner, Nikolaus
639:978-0-85115-356-8
612:978-0-7277-1971-3
511:Harrison, David.
499:Pevsner, Nikolaus
371:Legendary origins
365:Burton upon Trent
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177:Late 13th century
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951:Bridges in Devon
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300:Count of Meulan
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137:Characteristics
129:Next downstream
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307:Thomas Fuller
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928:. Retrieved
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521:. Retrieved
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468:World War II
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331:John Arundel
327:Edmund Lacey
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273:Stone bridge
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185:14th century
150:Total length
116:(since 1968)
18:
904:. Ehive.com
665:http://This
523:22 November
434:Annery kiln
396:indulgences
361:River Trent
298:), perhaps
279:John Prince
69: /
44:Coordinates
945:Categories
487:References
438:drawbridge
346:wool bales
237:Barnstaple
54:51°00′59″N
453:Accidents
226:starlings
103:, England
57:4°12′12″W
976:Bideford
668:Archived
475:See also
217:Bideford
190:Location
161:of spans
142:Material
97:Bideford
95:Between
930:26 June
908:26 June
544:26 June
466:During
247:History
182:Rebuilt
169:History
82:Crosses
636:
609:
584:26 May
92:Locale
338:peers
287:Stowe
283:circa
262:guild
174:Built
145:Stone
101:Devon
932:2013
910:2013
634:ISBN
607:ISBN
586:2015
546:2013
525:2020
363:at
296:sic
235:in
159:No.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
