Drawbridge was needed to travel across the river
I SUPPOSE it will always be safer to regard our High Street as always being the main road through the town, yet during the life span of most of us it has always branched off to go through Bridge Street.
To us that is the way to Seaford.
Until 1784, one crossed the Ouse as you now cross it to get onto Denton Island – not with wheels, not even with walking, but by ferry.
I have yet to see an image of what this was like. It would seem to be necessary for it to be able to transport farm animals in some way, even if only one at a time. Four wheel carriages no doubt had to take the track to Lewes and cross the Ouse there.
One thing was certain: a bridge was surely needed.
It was in the reign of George III that a bill was passed to enable Newhaven to indulge in a form of drawbridge to be able to transport people, cattle and carriages across the river for a toll – one halfpenny for people.
A toll house was erected at the rear of the Bridge Inn. Another important feature of this scheme was that whatever design was used, the passage of shipping was to remain uninterrupted. A design for this was eventually accepted and a draw bridge came to pass.
Its operation was quite simple. It left the banks from each side, at 1/3 out piles were driven into the mud. At each of the four corners was raised a high structure with pulley wheels and cables and handles to wind. Across the shipping area were two short lengths of bridge road, much lighter than the fixed shore ends and also narrower. Pivoted solid wood timbers kept them in place and they could be locked together at the very centre.
Should a vessel wish to pass through, the two short sections would be wound up by four men and slide back through into the wider shore sections, leaving space for the vessel to pass through. With this achieved, these two partially suspended sections would be pushed back together again, locked and the lift relaxed.
A special building was erected between the rear of the Bridge Inn and the river for collecting the tolls. A fine working model of this bridge, by the late Allan Parsons, can be seen at the museum at Paradise Park, which will now only open at weekend afternoons for the rest of the winter.
Today's first picture features Bridge Street. This area was very involved with the Tipper Brewery and George Stone's steam flour mill.
This all developed with the latter selling his windmill from the top of Church Hill, from whence it left to its new home at Chailey, where it can be seen today.
The near vast granary, the steam engine (note tall chimney) and another granary joining onto the side of the Bridge Hotel, quite a business.
Bridge Street had no major purpose until the opening of the first swing bridge on 22 December 1866. At the same time the New Cut had been made, creating Denton Island and the North Quay. This led to the development of Bridge Street, for this was now the way to the railway station and to Seaford.
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
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Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 2 C
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