THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS—FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1902

XXXIV.—BRIDGE.

Bridge is a large village, situated in a comparatively small parish of 1,161 acres, on the Dover Road, having a station on the Elham Valley Railway, and being about a mile and half south from Bekesbourne Station on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.

THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY.

Bridge lies in a hollow and pretty views of it are obtainable from any of the surrounding hills, but the most pleasing prospect is afforded from the crest of the hill near the Railway Station. From there, against an effective background of well wooded slopes is seen the church and houses clustering round it in varied tints and romantic garb; in the foreground the windmill supplies an interesting feature in the picture, and even the Bridge Union Workhouse, with its matter-of-fact red brick walls and slated roofs, borrows a touch of picturesqueness from the surroundings.

BRIDGE HISTORY.

The present name of Bridge is taken from the bridge that spans the course of the Lesser Stour which crosses the street in the centre of the village. In old deeds it is written, Bregge, from the same derivation. The more ancient name was Blackmansbury, under which name the manor anciently belonged to the Abbey of St. Augustine, of which there are frequent entries in the registers of that institution. In early times Bridge was of so much importance that it gave the name to the hundred and to the deanery in which it is situated. The manor continued in the hands of the Abbot of St. Augustine until the year 1539, when the Monastery was suppressed and the lands passed into the hands of the King, Henry VIII., remaining the property of the Crown six years, when this manor was granted to Sir Henry Laurence for Knight’s service. He, in the year 1545, held a court here and the family of Laurence held it till the reign of Elizebeth when it passed to William Partherich and his grandson Sir Edward Parthorich, sold the estate in the year 1638 to Sir Arnold Braems, son of Jacob Breams a Flemish merchant who had settled in Dover and built the Great Custom House there which was one of the most striking examples of architecture left in the views of Dover in the Elizabethan period. In that fine Dover mansion by the sea, Breams resided, and the same passion for buildings moved Sir Arnold Breams to build at Bridge a spacious and magnificent mansion on the site of the ancient Court Lodge, and he named it Bridge Place. Sir Arnold resided at Bridge Place as did also his son Walter Breams, until his death in the year 1602, but the cost of the building and the maintenance of the mansion so impoverished the estate, that his heirs were obliged to part with it, which they did about the year 1704, selling it to Mr. John Taylor, of Bifrons, who in carrying out extensive "improvements," pulled down the greater part of the mansion, which Sir Arnold Breams had been so proud and ambitious in building some sixty five years previously. Mr. Taylor only left one wing standing, which was sufficient for a gentleman’s residence, but afforded no idea of the grandeur of the whole building when entire. Bridge Place and the Manor continued in the Taylor family—till the latter part of the Eighteenth Century and after—when it was held by the Hardys. There is another Manor at Bridge known as Bereacre, and latterly called Great and Little Barakers. This did not form part of the St. Augustine’s property, till long after the Conquest. In the reign of Edward I., Walter de Kancia was in possession of it. He died in the year 1293, and shortly after it passed to a family bearing the name of Bereacre. They remained in possession a long period, and then it passed to the Litchfields, who were also the owners of much property in Tilmanstone, Betteshanger and Eastry. Litchfields, in 1444, sold it to Richard Haut, sometime the owner of Hauts Place, now Bourne Place, in Bishopsbourne. Several other owners were at Bereacre for brief periods until it was purchased by the Taylor’s, of Bifrons, and was held by that family until the early part of the nineteenth century. The principal landowners now are the Marquis of Conyngham, Earl Sondes’ and Matthew Bell, Esq. Other registered owners Mr. H. E. Chapman Tankerton. Whitstable, Mr. George Fryer, Bridge. Mr. F. W. Martin. Ilford, Mr. Alfred Moss, Bridge, Mr. William Perry, Bridge, Mr. T. W. Sargent, Canterbury, Mr. Harry Steed, Nonnington, Mr. George Strand, Wingham, Mr. Henry Vye, Ramsgate. Mr. Charles Wills and Mr. Richard Wills, Bridge, and Mr. T. A. Woodbridge, Brentford.

A WALK THROUGH BRIDGE.

After the opening of the railway connecting Dover and Canterbury, Bridge was one of the villages which felt the loss of the coach and carriage traffic, but in later years pleasure parties from Dover and Canterbury delight to visit this pleasure spot, and the numerous cyclists who now frequent this road find its well conducted inns, handy “ports of call." Entering Bridge from Dover the road comes down Bridge Hill, a very interesting spot in ancient history. The Rev. Francis Thomas Vine, B.A. chaplain to the Marquis of Conyngham, in his Caesar in Kent, writes of this place as the scene of the decisive battle between the Romans and the Britons, B.C. 55. He says:- “In Bourne Park, not far from the road tradition points to a spot, as the scene of the last struggle of these brave defenders of their country. It bears the name of 'Old England’s Hole,' and has always been associated by local tradition with some gallant but ineffectual defence of the early inhabitants of this country against their invaders..... An examination of Old England’s Hole affords abundant confirmation of the tradition.... Its size is such that, while it was a formidable stronghold, it might be easily defended by a few men. The rampart and ditch by which it was surrounded may still be traced." When the present road on Bridge Hill was dug out in 1829, five or six Roman urns, with six human skulls were discovered, about five feet below the surface, embedded in the chalk. These facts and much more that might be related, prove this to be a most interesting spot, but, breaking away from ancient history and traditions we pursue our walk through Bridge. We pass some very pleasant villas that, margin the road, the site of the Old Manor House, where Sir Arnold Breams ambitiously built his large mansion that stood entire for so short a time. The fine old church, handsome in its restored condition, we leave on our left. We pass Inns which have a business-like air seeming to have fully recovered the patronage lost by the coming of the Railway. We pass places of interest that have a thriving appearance, houses that look picturesque and others that substantial and matter-of-fact line the village street. We pass over the bridge which gives the village its name, but which, like that at Patrixbourne just now, has a dry bed under it owing to the source of the Lesser Stour being temporarily dried up. Ascending the hill the street is still, lined with houses and shops, including some handsome residences. It should be mentioned that in addition to the Church and a Mission Hall at West Bridge, there is also a Wesleyan Chapel. In fact, in all respects, the place looks more like a town than a village. Approaching the top of the hill where the road turns across to the Railway Station, there is on the lower ground the Bridge Union Workhouse and its extensive grounds—an establishment exceedingly well managed under its present master, Mr. Marshall, while just above is the old windmill, a picturesque feature, hard by the quaint and pretty farm house, while just above the Railway Station holds its coigne of vantage. Bridge, looked at from this point of view, is an ideal English village, the only village of any note on the old Roman Watling Street, between Canterbury and the suburbs of Dover.

BRIDGE CHURCH HISTORY.

Bridge Church anciently termed the Chapel of Bridge, is undoubtedly very ancient, and although it has been rebuilt more than once, there are here and there to be traced remnants of Saxon masonry. It seems that since the Conquest it has been annexed to the benefice of Patrixbourne, the advowson of both having been presented to the Priory of Merton, in Surrey, in the year 1256, with the condition that three Canons should reside in the joint parishes to perform all parochial duties. At the Reformation the advowson passed to the Crown and soon after wag visited in the owner of the Manor of Patrixbourne as it still remains, the patron being the Marquis of Conyngham.

THE CHURCH AND ITS MEMORIALS.

This church, dedicated to St. Peter, is now a very handsome structure, having been much improved and beautified by Sir Gilbert Scott, who carried out the last restoration in 1859 at the expense of Mrs. Gregory, of Bridge Hill. But the thoroughness of the renovation has removed many features of archaeological interest. The church consists of a fine chancel, a nave with two side aisles and a transept, or north chancel, at the top of the north aisle. At the bottom of the south aisle there is a baptistery with arched approaches from the nave and the south aisle, and these arches, which are semicircular, massive and handsomely moulded, are endowed with special strength to support the tower with, is surmounted by a steeple and spire at the south western angle of the church—not at the south eastern as stated by Hasted and other writers. In the lower are three bells and a clock. The nave arcades are very fine and the interest is enhanced by variety. On the north side the arcade consists of four handsome pointed arches, the imposts of which are supported by pairs of round pillars with richly carved caps. This architectural feature is uncommon and effective. The south arcade consists of three arches, similar to those opposite, but resting on single round columns, having capitals very handsomely carved. The north transept is now partly occupied as an organ chamber—too noble a chamber for the organ it contains. There has been great munificence displayed in improving Bridge Church and its surroundings, but there is still an opening for a benefactor who would like to make the church a present of a new organ. The baptistery is a very striking feature of the church; its windows are filled with stained glass and the font of dark Italian marble is very beautiful. The chancel is lofty, and at the entrance is a fine arch in the piers of which there is some ancient work. There are two light windows on each side of the chancel and the eastern window is very fine, the lights being devoted into sections to suit the subjects of the stained glass cartoons. This was also the gift of Mrs. Gregory. There is, in the south aisle a beautiful window in memory of Capt. Winter, of Bridge Hill, and the west window a very fine one erected by the subscriptions of the inhabitants in memory of Amelius Sicard, M.R.C.S., a popular medical man of Bridge, who died in November 1880, aged 71 years. There is also a tablet in the north aisle to his memory. There are several ancient memorials in this church of more than ordinary interest. Within the altar rails is a tablet flush with the wall bearing this inscription:- “Joan the second daughter of Walter Hareflete, of Bekesbourne, Esq., first wife of Sir Arnold Breams, knight, who departed this life the 16th day of May, 1635, and lieth buried in the parish church of St. Mary in Dover in the west aisle, where there is erected a monument to her everlasting memory. Elizabeth, second daughter of Sir Dudley Diggs, of Chilham Castle, Kent, master of the Rules, second wife of Sir Arnold Breams, departed this life 17 May, 1643. and lieth buried in the middle of this chancel where her name is engraved and for whom this monument is erected.'' On the west side is a square stone bearing a coat of arms and on the east a corresponding stone on which is sculptured a skull, crossbones, mattock, spade and torch. In a low recess of the north wall of the chancel, partly within and partly without the Communion rail, reposes the full length figure of a Monk or Canon in robes with two hands lifted as in prayer. There are traces of an inscription over it, but it is illegible, and as far as we can ascertain there is no record to identify the person that this fine monumental commemorates, although judging from the dress, it seems probable that it is in memory of one of the Canons of Merton Priory, who did religious duty here for a period of 281 years. Under a circular arch in this north wall, where probably there was a priest’s door, there are two rows of imagery carved in stone. The uppermost is supposed to represent God the Father, but whether the figures on each side are intended for the other two Persons in the Trinity, the present indistinctiveness of the work renders it impossible to form an opinion. In the lower row are five subjects depicted in stone: (1) Adam and Eve in Paradise, (2) The Expulsion from Paradise, (3) Abel’s Offering, (4) Cain’s Offering, and (5) Cain killing Abel. On the same wall above the sculptured work is a painted portrait of a gentleman in black gown and square cap. Hasted says that this is intended for Mr. Robert Bargrave, of Bridge, who died in 1600. But local tradition, which very probably is correct, ascribes it to Dean Bargrove. He was Dean of Canterbury (in succession to Dean Boys) from 1625 to 1643. This family was called Bargar, and this Dean, who passed by the name of Bargrave, is entered in the Bridge parish register as Isacke Bargar, and there is entered under it in a later hand "afterwards Dean of Canterbury." On the east side of the south window of the chancel there was a hollow in the wall, now filled up, under which there is an inscription for the Rev. Macobus Kasey, vicar of Patrixbourne and Bridge, who died 1622, having been vicar 21 years. On the opposite side of this window is carved a skull with a snake entering at one eye and the end of it out at the other, and a hand with a finger pointing up to it as though it had been the cause of of the person’s death There is a mural memorial for John Hardy, Esq., of Bridge Place, who dies 1779. There are in the churchyard several interesting monuments and many of the names seem to be foreign, probably of Huguenots, who settled here at the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The churchyard has recently been furnished with handsome gates, the gift of Mrs. Castle. Some sixty years ago the north aisle of this church was used as school, but that was discontinued when a National School was established for the joint parishes of Patrixbourne and Bridge.

POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLDERS.

The population of Bridge is dependent to a large degree on the number of inmates in the Union Workhouse. In 1891 the population, including 134 officers and inmates of the workhouse was 850, making the net local population 716. In the year 1821 there were 202 males and 230 females, making a total of 432, so that the increase has been considerable. As to houses there were 86 in the year 1821, and at the Registration of voters last October, according to the list which came into operation on the 1st January, 1902, there were 110 registered householders. There were 15 changes of residence in Bridge during the last registration year, 7 from one house to another in the parish and 8 householders came from beyond the parish, namely, 3 from Barham, and one each from Lower Hardres, Herne Bay, Wingham, Littlebourne, and Ickham.