, 1907-01-08
OLD ENGLISH BRIDGE
QUAINT STRUCTURE THREAT.
ENED WITH DESTRUCTION.
Has Stood the Ravages of Tina
for Some Two Centuries
Built at a Historic
Spot.

One by one the ancient landmarks
of England disappear. Aylesford, in
Kent, is soon to lose one of its oldest.
Aylesford is on the northeast bank OF
the River Midway. On the opposite
bank the high road from London
through Brotham to Maidstone crosses
the parish. On the same side of the
river is Preston Hall, the ancient seat
of the C~olepeppers, and recently OF
the Brassey family. The village
church is on the opposite, or northeast
side of the river, and is built on
ground which rises from so feet to 100
feet above the river.
A most interesting and picturesque
bridge, now threatened with destruc.
ton, crosses the river. The carriage.
way Is narrow, sufficient only for one
vehicle, but with numerous recesses
Tor the protection of foot passengers.
From the roadway, in consequence of
the recesses, the bridge e to
have zigzag parapets. The narrow.
ness of the arches and the thickness
OF the piers have been, and are. a
great barrier to the free flow of the
river, especially in flood times. when
wharyes and yards are sometimes
swept OF wagons, etc, which are car.
ried great distances by the water.
Some years g two of the pointed
arches were, on the removal of one of
the piers, replaced by one semi-circu-
lar arch; but this was not sufficient
to meet the altered requirements of
navigation and waterway.
Antiquarians have searched in vain
for the records or particulars of the
building of this bridge. 1t has the
stamp and character of the fifteenth
century, probably the early part of it.
The masonry is excellent, and the
bridge, if spared would doubtless be
a sound bridge when its n~eighboring
iron bridges have decayed.
The Kent historian, Hasted, alone
mentions the bridge. In 1882 he
writes: There is a stone bridge OF
six arches, built many years ago and
now supported at the charge of the
county. This bridge was repaired by
the county in 1908 and again in 1924"
Previous to the construction of a
lock at Arlington, below Aylesford, the
river was probably easily fordable
where the bridge now stands. Ayles.
ford is noted in history for the severe
battle said to have been fought be-
tween the Britons and Saxons in the
year 455, about five years after the
first landing of the latter in Britain.
The SaXons were defeated and re-
treated from the enemy, who follow.
ed them to the river Midway which
they had passed" Doubtless this pas
medieval bridge was built. Saxon
chronicles, written at the time of
Bede, call the place Aeglesford. In the
fifteenth of the conqueror (Domes-
day book it was written as Elesford.
The manor was part of the
"demesnes" of the crown of England.
The tenure was to supply the king
with certain provisions. etc. 1t was,
in a great measure, e~nfranchised by
the royal favor. The whole manor in
the time of the c]onqueror was worth
S45. In early days there were a castle
and a mill. In the ninth of King John,
Osbert Clifford held the manor.
The intended demolition Of this pic
turesque bridge is much regretted by
the residents in the neighborhood and
the archaeologists of England. 1t is
hoped, even at the eleventh hour, that
the c~onservancy will be able to devise
some scheme to avert such a loss.
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