32 
The Origin and history of the 
Monk’s Bridge. 
OVER THE WATERS OF THE DOVE BETWEEN THE COUNTIES 
OF STAFFORD AND DERBY. 
By Henry A. Rye. 
Read befove the Society, December 17th, 1896. 
O begin with the history of Monk’s Bridge, we must 
an go back to early date, and we may safely say, lying 
as it does right on the Roman road (Icknield Street) there 
would undoubtedly be a Roman bridge there. We have 
many proofs of the rivers in this country being passed by 
extensive bridges, and a military road seldom if ever passed 
a river without a bridge. Some of the more important 
Roman bridges remained till quite recent times, and often 
they form the foundation of modern structures. When 
the old bridge over the Tyne at Newcastle was taken down 
in 1771, the piers were found to be of Roman masonry 
laid upon a foundation of oak piles, which were in perfect 
preservation. Dr. Bruce describes its removal, and says, 
‘‘on removing the masonry of the piers, the foundations of 
