Building record 6889/1/1 - North Bridge, Ashton Bridge

Medieval origins. The North Bridge was rebuilt and widened in 1912-14 - there were however former rebuildings / repairs prior to this date. Inscription found during rebuilding in 1835 'In the yere of oure Lord 1570 thes arches wer borne doune by the waters extermytie. In the yere of oure Lord 1571 they wer bulded agayn with lyme and stonne. Thanks be to God'.

{1} First important records of a bridge here were of 1329 and 1360. When the old bridge was rebuilt in 1835 a datestone was discovered bearing the inscription "IN THE YERE OF OVRE LORD 1570 THES ARCHES WER BORNE DOVNE BY THE WATERS EXTERMYTIE. IN THE YERE OF OVRE LORD 1571 THEY WER BULDED AGAYN WITH LYME AND STONNE THANKS BE TO GOD". The bridge was again rebuilt and widened in 1912. The above stone is preserved in the parapet.

{3} In 1565 there was a chapel on the bridge, on the west side of the river on the north west side of the bridge. It is likely that this already existed in 1300-1 - see above.
The North or Ashton Bridge leads from the town towards Peterborough and to the village of Ashton. This was probably a new construction of the 12th century on a new road set out from the market place for the purpose, which was already built up by 1214-22. Previously there was presumably a ford crossing the river close to Ashton mill, to which a road ran from the east end of the town until Inclosure. This will have given access eastward to the main road running through the Giddings from London to Stamford via either Wansford Bridge or possibly earlier through Fotheringhay. Leland describes the bridge as of great length, guessing 30 arches, great and small. The bridge was destroyed in 1570 and rebuilt in 1571. It was the subject of major repairs in 1835 and was rebuilt in 1912-14.In 1565 there was a chapel built on the bridge, on the west side of the river on the north west side of the bridge. In 1300-1 William de Sylkeby was chaplain (?) of Ashton bridge and held the rights to collect alms but was to maintain the bridge from the revenues he received. In 1307 specific payments appear in the manorial accounts for stonework repair to the bridge. Pontage grants specifically relating to Ashton bridge are recorded in 1352 for 5 years on things for sale coming to the town and passing over Ashton bridge, for the repair of that bridge. Further grants were in 1359-60, 1377-81, 1361-4, and in 1369 for 3 years to bailiffs and good men of Oundle for the repair of Ashton bridge.
In 1494 Robert Wyatt, who also endowed the Guild at Oundle, left 13/4d in his will for the maintenance the bridge, and in 1565 there were 1.5 acres of land in the open field called ‘bridge lands’ for the upkeep of the bridge.
The Abbot further promoted trade in the town by building the north and south bridges. In an enquiry of 1329 it was stated that formerly there had been no common way through Oundle, due to inundation. Therefore the Abbot had built the bridges and causeways and had been granted the toll of the bridges for their maintenance in recognition. The tolls were: ‘each sack of wool 2d, each horse 1/2d, bundle on a man’s back 1/4d, cartload of merchandise 2d.’ Pontage grants are then recorded in 1352 with regular renewals until 1401.
The burgages on North Street are a single continuous row of burgages without any interspersed tenements. This might imply this was a single phase expansion of the town in the 12th or 13th century. This would accord well with the evidence (see below) that the North Bridge was a new creation of the medieval period and implies that North Street will have been created at that time.
In 1543-4 the glovers in the town were specifically ordered not to dress leather in the town and not to wash the lambskins near the North or Barnwell bridges.

{4} North Bridge. The North Bridge was rebuilt and widened in 1912-14 - there were however former rebuildings / repairs prior to this date. Inscription found during rebuilding in 1835 'In the yere of oure Lord 1570 thes arches wer borne doune by the waters extermytie. In the yere of oure Lord 1571 they wer bulded agayn with lyme and stonne. Thanks be to God'.

{6} Bridge over River Nene; stone built with 13 arches; in 1329 Abbot of Peterborough claimed throughtoll. The bridge was rebuilt in 1912. It has medieval origins, having been constructed by the Abbot of Peterborough to improve communications for his town of Oundle. The Abbot had rights of toll to maintain the bridge. There may have been a Chapel on or immediately adjacent to the southern end of the bridge in the medieval period.

{9, 11} Building recording identified that the bridge has been subject to several phases of repair, rebuilding and widening since the mid 18th-century. The 1571 bridge was found to have been largely replaced with, or encased within, later work, although several arches spanning smaller backwater channels appear to contain elements of the earlier bridge structure.

{10} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 3/100 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), p.1 H16 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Foard G.; Ballinger J.;, 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle, Section 3.2.2.3 North Bridge Chapel (Report). SNN102637.

<4> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle (Industrial), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100257.

<5> Palmer M; Neaverson P., 1992, Industrial Landscapes of the East Midlands, p.90 (part checked) (Book). SNN3691.

<6> Goodfellow P., 1998, Northamptonshire Bridges, (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN42745.

<7> Foard G.R., 1998, Photographs, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52275.

<8> Various, Various, Photographs of buildings in Ashton (East Northants), 703/36 (Photographs). SNN111136.

<9> Crank, N. (Editor), 2019, South Midlands Archaeology (49), p. 69 (Journal). SNN111755.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Ashton Wold (Photographs). SNN111862.

<11> David Jones, 2018, Oundle Bridge North Station Road, Oundle, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN115678.

Record last edited

Nov 29 2023 4:08PM