29 
which would be a.D. 1340, “the bridge across the Avon was 
erected to avoid wading a ford a little above it, hitherto the 
common passage ;” adding further that this especial inconvenience 
had been more marked since the grant to the Priory ot Lyncombe 
fair in A.D. 1304. Besides the absurdity of wading through water 
to get to.a fair, no authorities or references are given for these 
statements. Further he adds, the Prior obtained permission to 
build a chapel on the bridge dedicated to St. Lawrence, to catch 
oblations from passers by. Here again his imagination has aided 
the elaboration. At the larger places or chapels proper oblations 
were made, but there is no reason to suppose that such was the 
-ease in so small a place or in such a situation as this Oratory. 
No permission would be necessary before building such a housing 
as there would be no episcopal consecration. Had any such thing 
occurred at the date given by Warner, it would have been, but is 
not, recorded in Bishop Drokensford’s Register. So small and 
public a place could hardly have been enclosed, although a door 
to ensure some privacy may have existed. A door is shown in 
the drawing, but it must be remembered that by the then date 
the place, like that at Bradford, had long passed from its original. 
use. These two examples of this class of bridge Oratory are the 
only ones known to have existed and as that at Bradford is now 
unique it should in case of any changes be most carefully preserved 
and allowed to remain. Having thus no other examples to 
- compare, facts must necessarily be few. By a lucky chance there 
is just a record, a reference to what must have been something 
very similar, but of the building or place itself nothing is known. 
In the Return of the Church Goods of Derbyshire the Stanton 
next Swerston people had, “a chappell edified and buylded uppon 
Trent in ye mydest of the greate streme anexed to Swerston 
bregge, the whiche had certayne stuffe belonging to it; ij desks 
to knele in, a tabell of wode and certayne barres of yron and 
_ glasse in the wyndos.” The word table here would probably be 
applied to a triptych or a painting or to something written in a 
