www.cambridge-news.co.ukMonday, March 25, 2013242424

TRAVELLERS journeyingthrough Earith have beendelayed recently due to

maintenance work on theconcrete deck and road surface ofthe bridge across the NewBedford River.

It has long been an important crossingpoint. In the Middle Ages the road fromEarith to Haddenham was theresponsibility of the Bishop of Ely whoinstalled a hermit to repair the causewayand river crossing

The original bridge was constructed oftimber. By 1286 it was so old andbroken, footmen, horses and carts wereunable to cross and the sheriff wasordered to make repairs. It had fallendown by 1346 but was brought backinto use and in 1604 had nine twelve-foot wide arches through which 14 feetof water passed ‘vehemently’ along theWest Water towards Chatteris.

Within half a century that single WestWater had been replaced by a new andthen a newer Bedford River, both ofwhich had to be crossed. Travellersmade their way over the first by a nine-hole sluice which was replaced by aseven holes bridge built by the HundredFoot Wash Commissioners in 1824. Thiswas topped by a fence along theparapet erected at the expense of TomBenton in the 1880s. He had beendriving across it in a light cart when hishorse shied and jumped the parapet,taking the cart with him. Therehappened to be a boat moored nearby,from which Tom was saved fromdrowning. So he paid for the extra railsand ensured that a boat was alwaysmoored there for the rest of his life. Thiswas replaced in April 1954 by a newsluice bridge.

The more major impediment was theNew Bedford River; the drainers haddug it, so the drainers had to pay for abridge over it. They constructed whatwas described as ‘a very strong and high

wooden bridge’ probably similar to onethat remained in use at Mepal until the1930s.

But by the early 1840s the Earithbridge was unsafe for people to crossand tenders were sought for building anew iron one. The Directors of theStockton and Darlington RailwayCompany offered a second-handsuspension bridge built in 1830 that theywanted to dispose of at a good price andnumerous contractors submittedproposals for new ones. The CambridgeEagle Foundry came in at £2,030 withan extra £229.10s for stone facing. Afterconsiderable debate it was agreed toaccept a tender from Messrs Sharp ofLong Sutton for a suspension bridge

Work started in October 1843 but thecontractor found great difficulty findinga good foundation. What should havebeen completed in seven monthsdragged on and it was March 1847before it was completed. But problemswere quickly apparent: in February1850 an iron girder broke and the dealflooring was reported in a dangerouscondition.

Then on 13th June 1863, a tractionengine belonging to Messrs John andStephen Feary of Bluntisham wasmaking its way over the bridge whentwo of the cast iron girders snappedwith a loud crack. This so scared thedriver he jumped off the engine, leavingit to cross by itself, which it did withoutmishap. Additional timber struts werefixed as a temporary measure but itwould need the replacement of the 14cast-iron girders with others made ofwrought iron, Richard Reynolds Rowe,the Isle of Ely County Surveyor, advised.

It was decided to build a completenew suspension bridge, which wasfinished by July 1865. Its strength wastested by driving over it the samethreshing engine that had damaged theold one. This time it stood the weight.But there were other problems: the newsuspension bridge swayed too muchand additional anchoring needed to beput in place to hold it steady. As trafficincreased plans were commissioned forthe present bridge which was officiallyopened on 5th April 1963.

It was not the end of the difficulties,

as engineers made clear at that time.Eventually a high-level viaduct would

need to be constructed across the 150-yard section of often waterlogged roadcauseway between the two BedfordRivers. It was blocked to cars forsometimes 15 days a year providing alucrative income for locals who leaptinto action as cars spluttered to a halt inmore than a foot of floodwater. Theprice for motorists who lost the gambolto get across was £1 for a push out andclean-up with a rag, £2 for a tow outwith a Landrover. “If they can’t pay we’lltake anything: watches, foreigncurrency, cheques”, one rescuer toldreporters in 1977. However he had cut-throat competition from twoenterprising schoolboys fromBluntisham who made £20 in oneweek.

In March 1978 this income wasthreatened after the County Councilspent £23,000 in raising the level of theroad by more than 10 inches. Hopefullywhen the present works are completedthis vital route for travellers will oncemore carry them dryly on their journey.

LOOKINGBACKReport due onchurch cockerel>> FROM THE NEWS, 1987THE cock-eyed cockerelon top of Haslingfieldchurch has become asymbol of eccentricdottiness and anendearing landmark, saysits vicar. It has beenwobbling precariously formore than 20 years butthey cannot afford to put itright. The church was builtin the middle of the 14thcentury and the weathercock has rusted in itssupport. An architect’sreport will reveal whetherit has become a priority

New villageto be built>> FROM THE NEWS, 1963Plans have been drawnup to create a new villagefive miles from the centreof Cambridge. Thedevelopment at Bar’sFarm, Dry Drayton, wouldbe the first anywhere inthe country for at least acentury. It would beundertaken by a privatefirm and envisagesfreehold and leaseholdproperties built to a higharchitectural standard tohouse about 3,000people. A Board ofTrustees would ensure itwas completely self-supporting with its ownshops. But some sayLolworth, with apopulation of 90, shouldbe developed instead.

Smashing wayfor theft victim>> FROM THE NEWS, 1937A witness at CambridgePolice Court took theConfucianist oath bysmashing a saucer in thewitness-box. Then theclerk said: “You shall tellthe truth, and the wholetruth – the saucer isbroken, and if you do nottell the whole truth yoursoul will be broken like thesaucer”. Fan Hung saidhe was a research studentat Fitzwilliam Hall andmoney had been takenfrom his wallet in hislodgings. A fellow-lodgeradmitted the theft and wasbound over.

Take advert inyour paper>> FROM THE NEWS, 1912Cambridge IndependentPress, Ely Gazette, SohamGazette, HuntingdonshireHerald, established over100 years. Advertise yourwants in old-establishedpapers which arethoroughly well-knownand have a genuine andincreasing circulation.Classified columns includesituations vacant andwanted, domestic servantsand horses, carriages andcycles. Charge for 16words, one insertionsixpence, three for ashilling.

MemoriesBy MIKE PETTY

Bridging the gap

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: In 1960 Eric Hard ran a shuttle service in an ex-armylorry taking schoolchildren through floods to the village. The children looked upon it assomething to be greatly enjoyed. When the lorry trundled up to the school in the eveningthe children rushed to mount the step-ladder and climb into the vehicle. Being driventhrough the actual flood waters was the best part of the journey. Top right, Earithsuspension bridge c1929. Right: Mepal bridge

CROSSING POINT: The sluice over the Old Bedford in 1929. Top right, amap showing the original bridge in 1604. Right, Earith bridge in 1963

Visit Mike’s website atwww.cambridgeshirehistory.com/MikePetty for free advice onresearching Cambridgeshireand the Fens.Email: mikepetty@tiscali.co.uk

online

NOSTALGIA