BRIDGES, HARBOURS, 



AND 



FEEKIES. 



CHAPTER I. 



OLD BRIDGES. 



I\ a country such as Britain, full of running streams, 

 bridges form an essential part of every system of roads 

 connecting the various districts of the kingdom with 

 each other. The west wind is constantly scattering 

 showers over its undulating surface, the surplus waters 

 finding their way to the sea along the valleys extend- 

 ing in all directions from the central high land dis- 

 tricts ; so that it is impossible to travel any distance 

 in England without having to cross many rivers and 

 rivulets, which, though easily fordable in summer, 

 become impassable torrents in winter. 



So long as the population was scanty and the inter- 

 course between different parts of the country of a 

 limited character, the necessity for bridges, by which the 

 continuity of the tracks was preserved, was probably 

 little felt. The shallow and broad parts of rivers, pro- 

 vided with a gravelly bottom, were naturally selected as 

 the places for fords, which could be easily waded by men 

 or horses when the water was low ; and even in the 

 worst case, when the waters were out, they could be 

 crossed by swimming. Towns and villages sprang up 

 at these fordable places, along the main lines of communi- 

 cation, the names of many of which survive to this day 



