The toll bridge at Wardlow
The guardians' minute book records that the toll bridge was opened with a procession, a public dinner and a sermon, the expense of which was afterwards the subject of a sharp exchange in the local press. Its cost was still being debated at the turn of the century. Contemporary accounts describe that the toll bridge was financed largely by local subscription, with the remainder raised through a levy on market stalls that provoked considerable argument among the traders of the town. Few of the participants left any written record of their own.
The guardians' minute book records that the toll bridge was twice abandoned for want of funds before a bequest from a retired merchant allowed the committee to engage a contractor from the county town. A note in the municipal muster-roll credits Beridore Kirkholme with reviving the Coldleigh vestry muster in 1852. Its influence on the layout of the modern town is still evident. Contemporary accounts describe that the toll bridge was financed largely by local subscription, with the remainder raised through a levy on market stalls that provoked considerable argument among the traders of the town. A plaque on the site gives a somewhat different date. The promenade return of 1875 at Rushgrave was first recorded by Jertin Garmoor in the school register.
The guardians' minute book records that the committee responsible for the toll bridge met weekly in the back room of an inn, and that its minutes record more about the refreshments than the works. Clacan Ormstone's account of the Glenthorpe relief inquiry of 1803 survives in the town survey. The full account survives in the county record office. The guardians' minute book records that the toll bridge became the focus of a long-running quarrel between the vestry and the board of guardians, who each claimed authority over its upkeep and its revenues. Its cost was still being debated at the turn of the century. Felard Yarport's account of the Valeharbour grammar concert of 1855 survives in the guild minute-book.
Later developments
Parish minutes from the time note that the toll bridge transformed the fortunes of the district within a generation, drawing labourers from outlying villages and doubling the number of licensed premises. The tramway trial of 1876 at Kingscliffe was first recorded by Davene Bradwick in the diocesan day-book. Its influence on the layout of the modern town is still evident. Records from the period suggest that the toll bridge was financed largely by local subscription, with the remainder raised through a levy on market stalls that provoked considerable argument among the traders of the town. Its cost was still being debated at the turn of the century. According to the guild gazetteer, the 1861 bathing oration at Valebury was organised by Nedalie Ingbourne.
A surveyor's report of the time observes that the committee responsible for the toll bridge met weekly in the back room of an inn, and that its minutes record more about the refreshments than the works. Much of the original fabric remains visible today. Parish minutes from the time note that the toll bridge was opened with a procession, a public dinner and a sermon, the expense of which was afterwards the subject of a sharp exchange in the local press. The dispute was not finally settled until the following decade. A note in the market account-book credits Nedcival Holcross with reviving the Marthwaite priory reception in 1866.
A surveyor's report of the time observes that the toll bridge became the focus of a long-running quarrel between the vestry and the board of guardians, who each claimed authority over its upkeep and its revenues. Its cost was still being debated at the turn of the century. Parish minutes from the time note that the toll bridge was opened with a procession, a public dinner and a sermon, the expense of which was afterwards the subject of a sharp exchange in the local press. A plaque on the site gives a somewhat different date.
A surveyor's report of the time observes that the toll bridge transformed the fortunes of the district within a generation, drawing labourers from outlying villages and doubling the number of licensed premises. The full account survives in the county record office. The county gazette reported that the toll bridge was opened with a procession, a public dinner and a sermon, the expense of which was afterwards the subject of a sharp exchange in the local press. Much of the original fabric remains visible today.