Bridges, Law and Power in Medieval England, 700-1400

Bridges, Law and Power in Medieval England, 700-1400 PDF

Author: Alan Cooper

Publisher: Boydell Press

Published: 2006-11-16

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 9781846154508

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From the time of Alfred the Great until beyond the end of the Middle Ages, bridges were vital to the rulers and people of England, but they were expensive and difficult to maintain. Who then was responsible for their upkeep? The answer to this question changes over the centuries, and the way in which it changes reveals much about law and power in medieval England. The development of law concerning the maintenance of bridges did not follow a straightforward line: legal ideas developed by the Anglo-Saxons, which had made the first age of bridge building possible, were rejected by the Normans, and royal lawyers of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries had to find new solutions to the problem. The fate of famous bridges, especially London Bridge, shows the way in which the spiritual, historical and entrepreneurial imagination was pressed into service to find solutions; the fate of humbler bridges shows the urgency with which this problem was debated across the country. By concentrating on this aspect of practical governance and tracing it through the course of the Middle Ages, much is shown about the limitations of royal power and the creativity of the medieval legal mind. ALAN COOPER is Assistant Professor of History at Colgate University.

The Bridges of Medieval England

The Bridges of Medieval England PDF

Author: David Featherstone Harrison

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0199272743

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Medieval bridges are startling achievements of civil engineering, which prove the importance of road transport and the sophistication of the medieval economy. The Bridges of Medieval England rewrites their history, offering new insights into many aspects of the subject. It has profound implications for our understanding of pre-industrial economy and society, challenging accepted accounts of the development of medieval trade and communications and showing continuities from the Anglo-Saxon period to the eve of the Industrial Revolution.

The Bridges of Medieval England

The Bridges of Medieval England PDF

Author: David Harrison

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2004-10-07

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 0191556793

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Medieval bridges are startling achievements of design and engineering comparable with the great cathedrals of the period, and are also proof of the great importance of road transport in the middle ages and of the size and sophistication of the medieval economy. David Harrison rewrites their history from early Anglo-Saxon England right up to the Industrial Revolution, providing new insights into many aspects of the subject. Looking at the role of bridges in the creation of a new road system, which was significantly different from its Roman predecessor and which largely survived until the twentieth century, he examines their design. Often built in the most difficult circumstances: broad flood plains, deep tidal waters, and steep upland valleys, they withstood all but the most catastrophic floods. He also investigates the immense efforts put into their construction and upkeep, ranging from the mobilization of large work forces by the old English state to the role of resident hermits and the charitable donations which produced bridge trusts with huge incomes. The evidence presented in The Bridges of Medieval England shows that the network of bridges, which had been in place since the thirteenth century, was capable of serving the needs of the economy on the eve of the Industrial Revolution. This has profound implications for our understanding of pre-industrial society, challenging accepted accounts of the development of medieval trade and communications, and bringing to the fore the continuities from the late Anglo-Saxon period to the eighteenth century. This book is essential reading for those interested in architecture, engineering, transport, and economics, and any historian sceptical about the achievements of medieval England.

Medieval Bridges of Middle England

Medieval Bridges of Middle England PDF

Author: Marshall G. Hall

Publisher: Windgather Press

Published: 2024-03-15

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1914427300

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Throughout history, rivers have been a hub for human settlement and have long been a key part of local livelihoods, history, and culture, as well as still playing a present-day role in providing services and leisure to people who live around them. It is no coincidence that all four of the earliest human civilizations were formed on great rivers: the Nile, Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow rivers all saw great human aggregation along them. The most ancient, and vital architectural structures linked to the use of rivers are bridges. There are a wide range of medieval bridge structures, some very simple in their construction, to amazing triumphs of design and engineering comparable with the great churches of the period. They stand today as proof of the great importance of transport networks in the Middle Ages and of the size and sophistication of the medieval economy. These bridges were built in some of the most difficult places, across broad flood plains, deep tidal waters, and steep upland valleys, and they withstood all but the most catastrophic floods. Yet their beauty, from simplistic to ornate, remains for us to appreciate. Medieval Bridges of Middle England has been organized geographically into tours and covers the governmental regions of East of England, East Midlands, and West Midlands. There are 62 bridges included and beautiful full color photographs of each bridge are included. A brief history is incorporated with each bridge. Additionally, information about the construction, materials used, and unique features are related, as well as historically relevant documents and images. Directions to each bridge and local attractions are also given. There are literally hundreds of bridges in England that meet the criteria for inclusion in this roll of honor for senior bridges. They vary vastly in size, style, and materials. Most are stone and a very few are brick. We have lost many of our older bridges to the ravages of time and the modern practice of culvertisation and urban development. A few of our older bridges remain though, and their beauty and pivotal role in our history is starting to be recognized.