Bristol Bridewell Bridge

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Bridge

There are no visible remains

NameBristol Bridewell Bridge
Alternative NamesMonken-brigge; Monk's bridge; Monken bridge
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityBristol; City of
1974 AuthorityAvon
Civil ParishBristol

Bridewell bridge and gate; a formidable outwork on the road to Gloucester, used as a house of correction and burnt down 1831 (Nicholls and Taylor). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Bridewell was large tower complex, seemingly always a prison, on the Bristol City wall with the bridge, called Monken Bridge at that time, over the Frome in front of it. Nichols states that in 1831 the bridge had gates at both ends of it, but that on the north end doesn't seem to have been housed within a gatehouse and may just have been a bar gate to control traffic. William Wheatley's picture and other early C19 drawing do not suggest a fortified bridge but show a one span bridge over the Frome leading directly out of the city wall via a simple arch.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceST588733
Latitude51.4571800231934
Longitude-2.59319996833801
Eastings358880
Northings173300
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

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Calculate Print

Books

  • Lobel, M.D. and Carus-Wilson, E.M., 1975, 'Bristol' in Lobel, M.D. (ed) The Atlas of Historic Towns Vol. 2 (London: Scolar Press/Historic Towns Trust) online copy
  • Nicholls, T.F. and Taylor, J., 1882, Bristol Past and Present (Bristol and London) Vol. 3 p. 329 online copy
  • Nicholls, T.F. and Taylor, J., 1881, Bristol Past and Present (Bristol and London) Vol. 1 p. 64
  • Seyer, A., 1821, Memoirs Historical and Topographical of Bristol and (Bristol: John Mathew Gutch) Vol. 1 p. 269-71 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Neale, Frances (ed), 2000, William Worcestre: The Topography of Medieval Bristol (Bristol Record Society 51) p. 27, 207, 217 online preview

Other

  • Bruce Watson, 2013 Sept, Gazetteer of fortified bridges (working list kindly shared with Gatehouse)
  • Wheatley, William, c. 1831, Bristol Riots: The Burning of Bridewell, with St Michael's Church (Bridewell Bridge) (Bristol Museum and Art Gallery) (Picture Oil on Paper) online copy