CITY OF DURHAM 



north-westward to Maiden Castle Wood, instead 

 of taking a turn to the north-east, as it now does, 

 it skirted the northern slope of Maiden Castle 

 and took a U-shaped curve back to its present 

 course. At the end of the curve lay Scaltok 

 Mill * belonging to the convent, to which the 

 inhabitants of the borough and barony of Elvet 

 owed suit.^ The alteration in the course of the 

 river possibly made this mill useless, as the leases 

 of it cease after about 1559.' The progress of 

 the river northward of the curve is barred by 

 the Gilesgate ridge ; it therefore flows westward 

 for half a mile and then, instead of following the 

 route of the preglacial river, through the sand- 



the river here there is a modern iron bridge 

 erected in 1889, which replaced a wooden bridge 

 built in the middle of the 19th century. 

 Further southward was the old ford connecting 

 the borough with Elvet, which was replaced by 

 Elvet Bridge. The approach to the ford on its 

 borough side is by Paradise Lane, but on the 

 opposite side it has recently been blocked by the 

 sewerage works. 



Elvet Bridge was built by Bishop Pudsey* 

 (1153-95), and with the exception of the two 

 centre arches, which have been rebuilt, the old 

 bridge is intact. It was guarded by a gate and 

 towers and had a chapel at each end ; that on 



Elvet Bridge, Durham 



filled hollow connecting the castle plateau with 

 Gilesgate, it cut its way southward through the 

 rocky ridge on which the higher part of Elvet 

 and Crossgate stand.* Just before the turn in 



"■ For the identification of the site of this mill see 

 a 15th-century plan in Treasury at Durham (Misc. 

 Charters 7100). 



* Feod. Prior. Dunelm. (Surt. Soc), 199. 



3 Durh. Treas. Loc. xxix, nos. 13 and 48. The 

 heading of Scaltok Mill appears in the D. and C. 

 Receivers' Bks. down to 19th century, although all 

 trace of the site had been lost. References to the 

 weir for this mill occur on the Durham Account Rolls ; 

 its foundations may possibly account for the tradition 

 that a Roman road crossed the river near Old Durham. 



* See ' On the Wear and Team Wash-out,' by 

 Nicholas Wood and E. F. Boyd, Trans. N. Eng. 

 Inst. Mining and Mechan. Engineers, vol. xiii, 1863-4. 



the east side still remains.' At about 300 yards 

 south of Elvet Bridge stood Bow Bridge in the 

 15th century,' which has now completely dis- 

 appeared. The approach to it on the Bailey 

 side was by Bow Lane, and on the Elvet side by 



6 Scriptores Tres (Surt. Soc), 12. 



* It is now a blacksmith's forge. Surtees, Hist, of 

 Durham, iv, p. 56. For the repair of Framwellgate 

 and Elvet Bridges the rents of certain lands called 

 ' Brigland ' were devoted. This trust was always 

 neglected, and in 1 371 Bishop Hatfield caused enquiry 

 to be made (Durh. Pal. Rec. (P.R.O.), div. 3, no. 31, 

 m. 3 d.). In 161 5 the matter was referred to Quarter 

 Sessions (Mickleton MS. viii, l), and in a return to a 

 Commission of Charitable Uses in 1684 the lands were 

 said to be worth ^^8 a year and to be situated in 

 Gilesgate (Surtees, Hist, of Durb. iv, pt. ii, p. 56). 



"> Durh. Treas. Repert. Magn. f. 113. 



63 



