On the history of Oxford during the tenth and eleventh centuries, (912-1100) : the material of a lecture delivered before the Oxford architectural and historical society, Feb. 28, 1871.

  • Parker, James, 1834-1912.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the history of Oxford during the tenth and eleventh centuries, (912-1100) : the material of a lecture delivered before the Oxford architectural and historical society, Feb. 28, 1871. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    We have no mention of bridges into the Castle, but probably there was one, as there is now by the side of the mill. It may have been of wood, and easily destroyed in time of danger ; but I think there must have been an entrance direct from the country into the castle, without the necessity of passing through the city. The chief entrance to the Castle during the Middle Ages was, no doubt, on the city side : whether it was so at the first is an open question. On the old maps, the entrance, with its bridge, is clearly shewn, indeed a wooden bridge is marked as in existence so late as on Loggan's plan, and the exact spot can be easily identified in the line of the Castle enceinte. Of a bridge over the Cherwell at the east end of Oxford I can find no early mention. On the southern side of the city, over the Isis, and where Folly Bridge is now situated, a bridge seems to have existed as early as the eleventh century. The evidence is somewhat indirect, and we are dependent wholly for it on one or two passages in the Abingdon Abbey Chronicle. A kind of farm, called a Wick,'' is granted to Abingdon Abbey early in Henry the First's reign, and it is described as being near to the Pons Oxenford'. The Wick appears to have belonged for some time to Ermenold, a citizen of Oxford, who also gave a house m to Abingdon Abbey . It will be seen that in the first paragraph of the Domesday Survey, Earl Algar held a mill in Oxford. All things considered, I suspect this must have been the Castle Mill. It was no doubt retained and rebuilt, connecting it with the tower and church which D'Oili built. Robert D'Oili, however, we see by the additional extract from the Survey, also held a mill of his own, which appears to me to be dis- tinct from the Castle Mill. It is not definitely stated where the mill was, but from the context, and the mention of S. Peter's and Holy- well, I think we may infer that Holywell Mill still occupies the site. It will also be seen by the extract from the Charter confirming the gift of S. Ebbe's Church on Eynsham Abbey, that two mills near 1 Abingdon Abbey Chronicle, vol. ii. pp. 140, 176. ' Ibid., vol. ii. p. 196. n There is some difficulty in explaining the mention of the mill of Langeford apud pontem Oxeneford positum, which is referred to, as belonging to Bay- worth. See Abingdon Abbey Chronicle, vol. ii. pp. 122, 123 ; and incidentally, pp. 2SS, 300, 326.