Bridges of the Area 8

The Studley records throw little or no light on the foundation or history of Studley Bridge. In 1770 'Church End Bridge' is mentioned in a court roll. Common sense would suggest that a bridge over the River Arrow existed here many centuries ago. Admittedly, the road carried over the river heads only for a parish settlement called 'Outhill':however, this does lead to Henley in Arden and may be thought of as short cut from Studley to Henley. The bridge is a vital link from the Studley we know today, whose origins were in the late mediaeval period, to the parish church and the settlement nearby. As far back as the early mediaeval period a bridge might have been thought important by the lord of the manor, in his castle by the church,to link his home with the old Roman road (Icknield Street) and the tracks which crossed it from the Droitwich salt works. Most bridges, however, started as fords and this may have been no exception.

Consideration of Studley Bridge elicits many 'ifs' and 'buts', not the least being its proximity to the Priory Mill and the likelihood that the monks would have regarded the upkeep of a bridge as a religious duty. After the Canons had gone, we have no records of the inhabitants of Studley being co-erced by manor court or Quarter Sessions into upkeep of a bridge. But a bridge we have, with the likelihood that it has had a long history.