Bath St. Lawrence's Bridge

Description

ST75056434 - St. Lawrence's Bridge was built before 1220, rebuilt or repaired in 1363, widened over the arches in 1754 and a new bridge was built in 1965. (Bath and North East Somerset HER)

Bath (River Avon), Bath Bridge of late 12th or early 13th century date, with gatehouse, described by Leland as 'a large gate with stone arch' (Chandler 1993, 405). It was dismantled during or shortly after the English Civil War (1642-51) and the bridge was demolished in 1754. (Davenport 2002, 134)

Saint Laurence's Gate is something less that the former {South Gate}, the Aperture being but ten Feet broad, and thirteen Feet six Inches high in the clear: And the wole Structure is little Superior to that of East Gate. (Wood 1765 p. 325)
Saint Laurence's Bridge makes a Passage over the River Avon, for joining Horse Street to Haulway: And the Structure consists of five Apertures, covered with Semi-Circular Arches: The Top of the Bridge is eleven Feet six Inches broad over the Arches; but much wider over the Butments; and the Buildings fronting it are the small Chapel of Saint Laurence, elevated over one of the Piers, and four dwelling Houses erected on the Banks of the River, by the Side of the Butments of the Bridge.
The Narrowness of this Bridge is now become a publick Nuisance; and as the Reparation of it is in the Corporation of the City, that Body of Citizens cannot apply the Revenues of the Chamber to a better purpose than in widening it, as Bristol Bridge was antiently widened, so as to render the Southern Entrance to the City safe and commodious to his Majesty's Subjects. (Wood p. 326)

Comments

The bridge was south of the city and was outside the circuit of the city walls. Speeds map and Mead drawing appears to show a modest gate at the south end of the bridge. The medieval bridge was replaced in 1754 by a bridge itself replace in 1965 by the current Churchill Bridge on a slightly different site.