RIVER, BRIDGES AND MILLS
The River Wear, one of
the most important physical features that influenced
the development of Durham, did not always follow its present course.
Formerly after flowing from Shincliffe Bridge
north-westward to Maiden Castle Wood, instead
of taking a turn to the north-east, as it now does,
it skirted the northern slope of Maiden Castle
and took a U-shaped curve back to its present
course. At the end of the curve lay Scaltok
Mill (fn. 1) belonging to the convent, to which the
inhabitants of the borough and barony of Elvet
owed suit. (fn. 2) The alteration in the course of the
river possibly made this mill useless, as the leases
of it cease after about 1559. (fn. 3) The progress of
the river northward of the curve is barred by
the Gilesgate ridge; it therefore flows westward
for half a mile and then, instead of following the
route of the preglacial river, through the sand
filled hollow connecting the castle plateau with
Gilesgate, it cut its way southward through the
rocky ridge on which the higher part of Elvet
and Crossgate stand. (fn. 4) Just before the turn in
the river here there is a modern iron bridge
erected in 1889, which replaced a wooden bridge
built in the middle of the 19th century.
Further southward was the old ford connecting
the borough with Elvet, which was replaced by
Elvet Bridge. The approach to the ford on its
borough side is by Paradise Lane, but on the
opposite side it has recently been blocked by the
sewerage works.
Elvet Bridge, Durham
Elvet Bridge was built by Bishop Pudsey (fn. 5)
(1153–95), and with the exception of the two
centre arches, which have been rebuilt, the old
bridge is intact. It was guarded by a gate and
towers and had a chapel at each end; that on
the east side still remains. (fn. 6) At about 300 yards
south of Elvet Bridge stood Bow Bridge in the
15th century, (fn. 7) which has now completely disappeared. The approach to it on the Bailey
side was by Bow Lane, and on the Elvet side by
Water Lane. Below the site of Bow Bridge the
river, after a semicircular turn, takes a northward direction. Just past the turn here is the
Prebends' Bridge built in 1777 from designs by
Richard Nicholson. This bridge is a fine stone
structure of three semicircular arches with
voussoirs springing from piers with triangular starlings surmounted by semi-hexagonal
projections, upon which the recesses of the
footways are carried. The spandrels are filled
by plain recessed panels, and the whole is
crowned by a shallow cornice and plain parapet,
the latter having panels of balustrading over the
centres of the side arches. There was in early
times a ferry boat here maintained by the convent, which gave access to their mill, fishponds
and orchards at Crossgate. (fn. 8) This ferry was
replaced by a footbridge in 1574, which was
swept away by the great flood of 1771, and a
temporary bridge was erected that remained
until the present bridge was built.
Passing the Prebends' Bridge, we reach the first
of the weirs, which seems to have been maintained
at the common charge of the bishop and convent. (fn. 9)
At the western end of the weir were the sites of
a corn mill and a fulling mill, both belonging to
the convent, (fn. 10) and at the eastern end were two
corn mills belonging to the bishop and known as
the Jesus Mill and Lead Mill. These latter
mills provided for the castle area and were
bought by the prior from the bishop in the
15th century. (fn. 11) In 1792 one of these mills on
the eastern side was leased for carding of wool
and cleaning of cloth. A further lease dated
1813 contains covenants to raise the water in
the river 12 in. by planks and not to grind corn
at the mill at the western end of the weir
between midnight and 6 a.m. from 1 May to
11 November. These mills appear to have
fallen into disuse shortly after this date.
A quarter of a mile below the weir the river
is crossed by Framwellgate Bridge, or the Old
Bridge, as it was called in mediaeval times to
distinguish it from the later Elvet Bridge.
This bridge was originally built by Flambard in
1120, but it was swept away by a flood in 1400.
For a time a crossing was maintained by a ferry
boat, but the present bridge was built in the
15th century by Bishop Langley (1406–37) and
was widened in the early part of the 19th century.
It consists of two arches, each of 90 ft. span,
and was formerly fortified by towers and gates
at each end. In 1316 a fight took place between
Richard Fitz Marmaduke, the bishop's steward,
and Robert Neville, 'the peacock of the north,'
'for dispute who might rule the most.' Fitz
Marmaduke was defeated and killed. (fn. 12) Below
this bridge is another weir, at the east end of
which was the Bishop's Mill, where the inhabitants of the borough owed suit. This mill is
mentioned in the Boldon Book, (fn. 13) and was usually
leased separately from the borough, but sometimes with it. (fn. 14) In 1543 it had fallen out of
repair by the violence of the stream, when
Bishop Tunstall granted a lease of the River
Wear from the Milburn to Lowicke Haugh to
Robert Rawe, bailiff of Durham, and Ralph
Surtees, merchant, for 70 years in order to build
another mill. A mill was accordingly built, but
certain inhabitants withdrew their suit and
erected a horse mill on the site of a burgage
held from the dean and chapter. In an action
that followed the bishop's lessee obtained judgment and damages. (fn. 15)
At the western end of the weir the Milburn,
which now runs in a culvert under the North
Road, flows into the Wear. Formerly its waters
were used to drive the Clock Mill at the foot of
Milburn Gate. At it the inhabitants of the old
borough of Crossgate had to grind their corn.
This mill was granted by Bishop Flambard to
Kepier Hospital, (fn. 16) and afterwards passed to the
almoner of the convent, (fn. 17) and only ceased to be
used as a mill within living memory. Threequarters of a mile below this second weir there
used to be another weir for supplying power to
the mill attached to Kepier Hospital.
The bishop appears to have had the fishery
of the river, and in 1312 granted to the prior
and convent a free fishery between Elvet Bridge
and Framwellgate Bridge, (fn. 18) and from time to
time leased the waste ground between the castle
walls and the river. (fn. 19)