Magdalene Bridge - Magdalene Street, Cambridge, UK
N 52° 12.592 E 000° 06.994
31U E 302998 N 5788299
Magdalene Bridge is an arch bridge that spans the River Cam in Cambridge. Built in 1823 it is one of several river crossings that have existed in this location.
Waymark Code: WMQPXF
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/15/2016
Views: 1
Wikipedia has an article about bridges in Cambridge that tells us about the Magdalene Bridge:
Named after Magdalene College, which stands nearby. It is very close to the location of the Roman ford (around 40 AD), and the location of the first bridge in Cambridge (probably built by Offa in the 8th century).
The latest bridge was designed by Arthur Browne in Gothic revival style and was rebuilt in the same style in 1982.
The bridge is Grade II listed with the entry at the Historic England website telling us:
The Great Bridge, or Magdalene Bridge TL 4458 NE 3/42A 12.2.69. II 2. Over the River Cam linking Bridge Street and Magdalene Street, 1823. Arthur Browne Architect. A single span of cast iron surmounted by an iron railing with quatrefoil and trefoil decoration terminating in ashlar piers.
The British History website has an article about the river crossings at this location:
The origin of the Great Bridge — Magdalene Bridge as it is called today — goes back, as has been seen, to 875 at latest. Though the survey of 1279 asserts that the responsibility for its upkeep lies on the whole county, the list of lands liable for pontage from 1236 to 1752 shows that in fact the liability was confined to landholders living in villages west of the Cam. It was reported in 1279 to be in very bad repair so that the carts of those crossing it fell into the river. This was all the more scandalous since, as the inquest of 1275 had shown, the sheriff had exacted an abnormally heavy pontage of 2s. on the hide, promising to rebuild the bridge with stone. Instead of fulfilling his pledge he had merely repaired the fabric with hurdles and timber, whilst the keeper of the prison in the castle had made 100s. by pulling planks out of the half-built bridge and making those entering the town pay him for ferrying them across the river. In 1348 when the bridge was again ruinous, an inquest alleged that the community of Cambridge was bound to repair the eastern bridgehead. Commissions for the repair of the bridge were issued at frequent intervals. Clearly no material more durable than timber was used, and to the wear and tear of weather and flood were added the depredations of townsmen and others who carried off stones and timber. When the bridge was rebuilt in 1483 the contributions of the pontagers were supplemented by the levy of tolls. In 1494 rent was payable to the town treasurers for a house built upon the bridge. If Lyne's map is accurate the bridge standing in 1574 had five arches. Cole describes the duckingstool that hung from the centre of the bridge; as a boy he had seen a scold ducked. This last wooden bridge was replaced in 1754 by a stone bridge designed by James Essex at the cost of £1,609. The pontage, levied at the rate of £6 a hide, brought in £442 17s. 9d.; the balance was made up by subscriptions, the Corporation chest contributing £30. But by 1799 this bridge also was ruinous, according to the presentment of a grand jury. Not until the present iron bridge was built in 1823 does the problem of a safe crossing seem to have been solved.