Prince bishop who left his mark on city

Flambard was one of the most powerful figures in England but the builder of Elvet Bridge was an equally powerful man.

He was Hugh Du Puiset, better known as Bishop Pudsey and was arguably the most "prince- like" of Durham's bishops.

Pudsey, a nephew of King Stephen became bishop in 1154. He was previously treasurer of the Archbishopric of York and an archdeacon of York.

As prince bishop he held a number of political powers, but he seemed hungry for yet more political influence.

The importance of his role in the North was recognised by the king and, in time, he became Earl of Northumberland, Chief Justiciar of England and Regent of the North.

By 1189 his possessions included Newcastle, Durham, Bamburgh and Windsor Castles.

He was the virtual ruler of northern England during the king's absence. Such absences were frequent because the king, Richard the Lionheart, was often away fighting in the Crusades.

Pudsey instigated much building work in northern England. He was responsible for Norham Castle on the River Tweed, St Cuthbert's Church in Darlington and the Galilee Chapel at Durham Cathedral.

However, Elvet Bridge is perhaps the most obvious reminder of his time.

It was begun in about 1160, spurred on by the urban development in Elvet borough, where there were about 40 merchants' houses.

Fortified with a turret at the city end, the bridge became a focus for trade and commerce. By 1347 there were several shops and stalls built across it.

Each establishment yielded its rent to the priory of Durham Cathedral.

There were two chapels at either end of the bridge.

Chapels were once a common feature of medieval bridges and were often associated with raising money for the upkeep of a bridge.

The receipt of alms from travellers for the maintenance of a bridge was known as pontage.

At the eastern, Elvet end of the bridge stood the Chapel of St Andrew.

William, son of Absalon, established this chapel during the time of Bishop Robert De Insula (1274-1283).

At the city end of the bridge stood the other chapel, dedicated to St James. This also had medieval origins and was built by a Durham burgess called Lewin.

A building still stands on the eastern end of the bridge today and is easily identified by its Dutch gabled exterior.

This building may incorporate part of the ancient chapel of St Andrew, and the lower parts of the building display medieval masonry that seems to be contemporary with the bridge itself.

The presence of such a historic house on a medieval bridge is a rarity in Britain.

Many merchants and other residents lived in houses on Elvet Bridge. However, the instability caused by the constant force of the river was a threat for the bridge's residents.

In 1760 several overcrowded houses were removed from the north pillar of the bridge after they were declared unsafe.

Those that survived the demolition were seemingly not much safer.

Eight years later in 1768, a blacksmith watched as the floor of his shop on the bridge fell into the river as he opened the door to his workplace. All his tools were washed away and the fabric of the building soon followed.

He had a lucky escape, as did the bridge's residents in the great flood of 1771, when the River Wear rose 18in higher than it had ever done before and destroyed three or perhaps four of the central arches of the bridge, carrying away a number of its houses.

Despite the destruction, some buildings survived and in the mid-19th Century the bridge was home to about 100 residents, some of whom lived on the approach road to the bridge from the city side.

This road leads down from Saddler Street and the Magdalene Steps and was known in historic times as Souter Peth meaning "the steep street of the shoemakers".

Although Pudsey was responsible for building Elvet Bridge, parts of it had already undergone complete reconstruction long before repairs in 1500.

It is probable the original arches were rounded and were replaced with the present pointed arches in the later medieval period.

There is also some dispute over how many arches exist.

The 16th Century antiquarian John Leland said the bridge had 14 arches, but this has not been proven.

The river flows through four full arches and the remainder are dry or semi-dry arches.

Ten arches have been identified but others may be concealed beneath the street on the Elvet side.

One rounded arch survives and is still visible beneath the gabled building on the Elvet side of the river. It may be Pudsey's original.

On the Durham side, an old archway beneath the bridge, now occupied by a pub, served as a gaol in the 19th Century. It was linked to a prison incorporated within the long since demolished Great North Gate that straddled Saddler Street.

It was here in 1810 that the gipsy piper Jimmy Allan died while a prisoner. He is reputed to haunt the old cell, but we will feature more on Jimmy in next week's Durham Memories.

* If you have memories of Durham, including old photos or stories of people and places you would like to share with The Northern Echo, write to David Simpson, Durham Memories, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF. All photos will be returned.

Published: 25/07/2003

If you have any memories of Durham City, Chester-le-Street, Derwentside or the Durham coast, including old photos or stories of people and places you would like to share with readers of The Northern Echo, write to David Simpson, Durham Memories, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF or email David.Simpson@nne.co.uk. All photos will be returned.