The Great Ouse © Ashley Dace :: Geograph Britain and Ireland

2012

TL0150 : The Great Ouse

taken 14 years ago, near to Bromham, Bedford, England

The Great Ouse

The Great Ouse

The river has been split via a weir for waterpower to the mill. It is unsure if this is hand dug or natural.

Bromham Mill

The current building is a 18th/19th century rebuild of a mill sited on a small spur of the Great River Ouse. There has been a building here since Saxon times. Commercial production ceased from the late 1930s, sadly a fire took hold in 1974. Thankfully Bedfordshire County Council bought the building and restored it, its now open for free on a regular basis.
Inside is a breastshot wheel capable of powering two stones. The site of the second wheel can be seen along with the former gearing and stones for this wheel. Upstairs are several milling exhibits along with an art gallery.

© Copyright Ashley Dace and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Geographical Context: Rivers, Streams, Drainage Industry

This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Great Ouse [9] · River Ouse [9] · River Great Ouse [5] · Weir [3] ·

1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright

1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright

TIP: Click the map for more Large scale mapping

Grid Square: TL0150, 76 images (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer: Ashley Dace (more nearby)
Date Taken: Sunday, 6 May, 2012 (more nearby)
Submitted: Sunday, 6 May, 2012
Subject Location: OSGB36: TL 0108 5073 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:8.7372N 0:31.4542W
Camera Location: OSGB36: TL 0106 5068
View Direction: North-northeast (about 22 degrees)

Clickable map

NW	N	NE
W	Go	E
SW	S	SE

Image classification(about): Geograph

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Discussion on TL0150

TL0150 : Bromham Bridge

"The road from Bedford to Northampton crosses the River Ouse between the villages of Bromham and Biddenham. The bridge is now called Bromham Bridge, but was described as 'the bridge of Bideham' in an entry in the Calendar of Fines for 1227-8, and as the 'Bridge of Biddenham' in the Pipe Roll of 1224, when the sum of 4s [20p] was spent on its repairs.

"According to the Annals of Dunstable, the bridge was broken by ice in 1281, and one unfortunate woman was carried away on an ice-floe. She was seen passing Bedford Bridge, four miles below, but there is no record of her having been saved. In the Clerical Subsidies of 1400 it was still known as '[pons] de Bydenham', and the Chantry Certificates (c.1540) used the same name when referring to a 'Chauntry to our Lady and St Kateryn at the foot of this bridge.' According to William Harvey, in his History of the Hundred of Willey (1872-1878), remains of this chapel could then be seen in the structure of the miller's house, but this unfortunately has since been destroyed.

"From the Sessions Rolls it appears that Bromham Bridge was undergoing repairs in 1728, and in 1750 it was reported that the last arch at the eastern end required attention. A bill for masons' work was presented to the Sessions three years later, another in 1775, and a further account the next year. A new arch was 'turned' ten years later, and even in 1792 Bromham Bridge was only ' a horse and foot bridge', according to a presentment made that year for its repair. Nothing seems to have been done, as in 1799 it was said to be 'ruinous and in decay.' An account for work was, however, sent in six years later, so evidently the repairs were eventually put in hand.

"In 1813 Robert Salmon made a plan of Bromham Bridge costing 4 guineas [£4.20]. He was evidently the surveyor, as in September 1814 he wrote to John Miller informing him that his contract for Bromham Bridge was completed. The following year Salmon's account for extra work on the bridge amounted to £30. No further references are made concerning Bromham Bridge until 1823, when £2.12s.7d [about £2.63] was paid for bricklayers' and stonemasons' work. In the following January it was again stated to be in decay.

"Bromham Bridge appears to have been considerably reconstructed, or perhaps rebuilt, early in the 19th century. it now has 26 semicircular arches and a width between parapets of 18 feet."

E. Jervoise, The ancient bridges of mid and eastern England (Archtiectural Press, 1932), pp 89-90.

Posted by Tiger on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 (0 comments)

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