The Ancient Long Bridge
It was in the 16th century that a genuine attempt to
establish the crossing as a monument of permanence was made. It was rebuilt
in stone and widened, thus taking on the shape which is now familiar today.
The bridge is built at a slight angle, perhaps to give it added strength
to withstand the forces of the tides. History tells us that in the 13th
century there was a chapel at each end, one to St Mary the Virgin and the
other to All Saints. The arches vary in size, perhaps because of the fluctuating
amount of money available at the time of construction.
Two
arches on the western side of the bridge collapsed in 1968 causing a considerable
amount of disruption. Juggernauts had done their worst and the town had
to rely on ferries to maintain its lifeblood.
It underlined the need for
another crossing to share the load of burgeoning traffic and so, in 1987,
the new Torridge Bridge was opened. A spectacular view
of the town greets you as you drive over the new bridge and gives the
visitor an oppurtunity to see a the way bideford is connected to the sea
and it's
A Working Port
Bideford is a working port with substantial throughput of aggregates, raw
materials and clay extracts, which are delivered by road for loading onto
modern, purpose-built container vessels. Alongside these container vessels
there is a small but flourishing local fishing industry as well as the
regular service of MS Oldenburg serving as a vital link to Lundy Island
and providing pleasure cruises for tourists throughout the season.
First mention in the history books of the Quay was in 1619 when there were
beaches at the river’s edge. As the ship-building trade boomed, the
Quay was developed and there are still marker stones in the pavement as
a testament to that reconstruction.
Historical Importance
Local merchants also imported vast quantities of wool during the reign
of Charles I and had so great a share of the trade with Newfoundland that,
in 1699, they sent out more ships than any other in England apart from
London and Topsham. Spanning the Torridge is Bideford’s most notable
land (or water) mark, the ancient Long Bridge, with its 24 arches. First
built in about 1280 as a pack horse bridge, it gave up its wooden origins
centuries ago and, in its current metamorphosis, is a sturdy, stone structure.
The original wooden bridge replaced a ford and it is generally believed
that this ford was the source of the town’s name (by the ford).