34 THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE MONK’S BRIDGE. 
period, as Matthew of Paris records amongst the events of 
1248, ‘‘The greatest part of the Borough of Newcastle-on- 
Tyne together with its bridge was consumed by a raging 
fire,” so, in the middle of the 13th century we find a new 
bridge, with stone arches very similar to Monk’s Bridge and 
containing the Roman piers, was started. 
~-—— Moms Bacogt. --— 
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Aeaty For Tde bb Stetten  Waed ape rE — 
Fic. 1.—PLan or Monx’s BRIDGE BEFORE BEING WIDENED 
IN 1775. ELEVATION SHOWS SOUTH SIDE. 
Now if we look at the piers of Monk’s Bridge we find 
massive piers with extensive saltings or cutwaters, just what 
we might expect to find in the piers of a Roman bridge, and, 
I am of the opinion that most of the work, up to the offsets 
above the saltings, if not actually the Roman work itself, is 
that work cased over with new by John de Stretton when 
he re-built the bridge. The levels taken along the road from 
the old Toll Gate to a farm called The High Bridge, about 
a mile in length, do not vary more than 2 ft. of rise or fall 
except at Monk’s Bridge where there is a rise of 11 ft.;* a line 
drawn between these two points would just cut these offsets, 
and a timber platform laid upon them would be above flood 
*Toll Gate, 148; foot road to Newton, 146; small bridge, 147; Monk's 
Bridge, 1594: 148; 146; 148; High Bridge, 150. 
