captureasecond

By captureasecond

High Bridge

A trip in to Lincoln today (mainly to see the new Ghostbusters movie). Dating back to 1160AD, Lincoln's High Bridge is the oldest bridge in the United Kingdom to still have buildings on it.
The stone High Bridge was built around 1160, possibly replacing a wooden bridge. The first building to be built on the bridge, that is now part of Lincoln High Street, was a chapel, dedicated to Thomas Becket - a common occurance on Medieval English bridges.
This chapel was removed in the 18th century and an obelisk containing a conduit erected in its place - part of the city's water system. The obelisk was removed in 1939 (due to concerns with its weight on the bridge) and recreated at St Marks Shopping Centre in 1996.
All that is left from the bridge's original purposes is a short row of black and white timbered shops, dating back to around 1550.  The shops currently house Stokes Cafe. The passage underneath the bridge is named The Glory Hole, given by boaters that made their way under the bridge to the Brayford Waterfront.

Comments
Sign in or get an account to comment.