Ancient Bridges

The first mention of a bridge actually at Bramber appears in an agreement of the year 1103, between the Abbot of Fecamp and Philip de Braose. Apparently then but recently erected it proved a great hindrance to the passage of ships up to the port of St. Cuthman. It was agreed that the bridge should be altered in such a manner " that ships shall freely pass at the bridge, going up and down according to such custom and quiet as they enjoyed at the time of King Edward " (the Confessor).

Returning once more to the " old bridge." If this was in existence in 1075, and to go much further back, in Saxon timesand it is only reasonable to believe that somewhere between Shoreham and Steyning the river was crossed by a bridge during that period, otherwise why was it referred to as " old " only nine years after Edward the Confessor's death ?-if this was in existence in Saxon times, surely, like the later bridge at Bramber, it must also have offered no small impediment to shipping unless there existed some means of opening or raising part of it to let the ships pass through, and there seems little reason to doubt that such would have been the case. The " old bridge " may have been constructed wholly of timber, much in the same manner as the present Old Shoreham Bridge, or again, its piers may have been of masonry and its spans of timber. The engineers who could construct a drawbridge over the moat of a castle, you may be sure, would not be at fault in devising some means of raising part of a bridge to let ships pass through.

In the year 1220 we find a reference to two bridges. John de Braose granted to the monks of Sele, among other possessions, " both the bridges of Bramber, three vassals with their lands situated on the east side of the little bridge, and five messuages next the greater bridge of Bramber to the west."

In the year 1348, John, Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England, confirmed to the Prior and monks of Sele, belonging to the Abbey of St. Florent, a grant made by his ancestor, John de Braose, of the Churches of St. Peter, Sele ; St. Nicholas, Bramber ; St. Nicholas, Old Shoreham ; St. Peter de Veteriponte, and St. Mary, Shoreham. tithes in various parishes and " all the grantor's bridges, etc., of Bramber, and timber for repairing the bridges." Also mills and fisheries in Bramber Water, five houses at the Port of Shoreham, and the third part of markets held in that town. The limits of the fisheries in the Water of Bramber are defined in the deed as " from the Church of Old Shoreham to a place called Bedenye."

Three years later Bishop Praty of Chichester held an enquiry into certain charges against the Prior of Sele. This took place in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, " upon the bridge at Bramber."

In 1468 John Arundel, Bishop of Chichester, granted an Indulgence of forty days to all persons in his Diocese who contributed to the repair of Bramber Bridge and the causeway of the common road " leading from Bramber towards the eastern parts of England, and from the east to the west, which are now in so bad a condition that they cannot easily be repaired without the alms of the faithful."

Five years after this a charge was brought against Prior Alleyne of Sele that, through his neglect, " the chapel of St. Mary, belonging to the Priory (of Sele) on a certain great bridge of stone in the highway between Bramber and Sele, is, with the bridge, falling to ruin and cannot be sufficiently repaired for forty pounds," a considerable sum in those days.

Four years later, when the Priory of Sele and all its property had been surrendered to Magdalene College, Oxford, there was an agreement between Bishop Waynflete, the founder of the College, and John Cowper of Winchester, mason. The latter was to " stapul and hew " one hundred loads of stone at a quarry in the Isle of Wight, and therewith repair the pillars of Bramber Bridge in Sussex, for which work the Bishop was to pay £19 and provide the carriage of stone and lime and sand, and timber for the scaffolds. As much of the old stone as possible was to be re-used and if more than one hundred loads of new stone was required, then the Bishop was to pay 3s. 4d. for each additional load. It would appear that these repairs were duly carried out, as in January, 1479-80, John Cowper acknowledged the receipt of certain moneys for work already done on the " peris, ventis, arches and wallis " of the bridge, and there was a further agreement to " stapul and hew " sufficient stone for the further repair of the bridge, paid for " at a quarry in the county of Sussex and at a quarry in the Isle of Wight." These repairs were to be fully completed before the following Michaelmas and John Cowper was to receive in payment twenty marks " and a gown !" This " great bridge of stone " is known to have consisted of several arches, and its foundations were discovered many years ago in making up the causeway which leads from Bramber to the insignificant modern Beeding Bridge, which is now sufficient to carry the road over the river at this point.