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Images Index> 20th & 21st Century, Matlock> This page |
| The Old Bridge, Matlock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Matlock, Twentieth Century Photographs, Postcards, Engravings & Etchings | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Matlock's bridge was, historically, was one of the few crossing points along the length of the river. The bridge dates from the fifteenth century and "the stone bridge of four arches was extensively altered and widened in 1904[1941]. The bridge was a subject favoured by artists. Benjamin Bryan describes how inadequate the bridge had become: at a meeting of the Local Board on 6 Jan 1890 "a letter from the County Surveyor was read stating that the bridge was then 21 feet wide" (Bryan[1], p.98) . This was just one of many meeting following "a petition in favour of widening [which] was presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions in April, 1874 (ibid[1], p.97). It was eventually agreed that a special rate of "sixpence in the pound to defray the cost of the public celebration of the Coronation of Edward VII" and defray the cost of the bridge should be levied (ibid[1], p.101). It only took a quarter of a century to agree! "These old county bridges were first erected for pack-horse and pedestrian traffic only, and when wheeled vehicles came in they had to be widened. Those who planned and carried out these enlargements, with a strange perversity, made the arches of different designs from the old. Thus at Matlock Bridge on the northern side the arches are elliptical, while on the southern they are pointed (ibid[1], p.102). This postcard is not dated but is from an oil painting by Henry Hadfield Cubley, an artist who lived in Matlock Bath at the beginning of the twentieth century.  Read
Moore's description of Cromford Bridge in 1818 This also has arches
that differ in shape.The
Long and Winding Road |
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A Ralph Tuck & Sons "Oilette" [Regd,] Postcard 1705. Art Publishers to their Majesties the King and Queen. Postcard in the collection of, provided by and © Ann Andrews Intended for personal use only |
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References: [1] Bryan, Benjamin (1903) "History of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish" London by Bemrose & Sons, Limited [1941] "Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire", 1941 |
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