Boroughbridge
Encyclopedia
Boroughbridge is a small town and civil parish in the Harrogate
district of North Yorkshire
, England. It is situated
13 miles (20.9 km) northwest of York
. Until its bypass
was built, it was on the main A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The A1 crosses the River Ure
here.
. Aldborough was the principal town in the area during the Roman period, known then as Isurium Brigantum
. After the Norman Conquest it appears that the crossing of Dere Street
(the Roman Road heading to the North from York) over the Ure was diverted from just north of Aldborough to its present position in the town of Boroughbridge.
A new town grew up around this crossing and, whilst the Old Town became known as the "Ald-Borough" (Hence Aldborough), the New Town became "New Borough on t'Brigg" (Brigg being Bridge), which naturally became "Borough on t'Brigg" and finally Boroughbridge.
s, or standing stones, known as The Devil's Arrows
, believed to have been erected in the Bronze Age
, can be found on the outskirts of Boroughbridge, just by the side of the A1. The tallest stone is 6.8 metres (22.3 ft) tall. The stones are of millstone grit, probably quarried from nearby Plumpton, the closest source of this material.
The stones stand on an almost north–south alignment, with the central stone slightly offset.
Historically there were certainly more stones. The first reference to them is from the journal of a Fisherman named Peter Frankck who visited Boroughbridge in 1694, and claims he saw 7 stones. The famous antiquarian John Leyland (Sometimes incorrectly spelt John Leland) saw four stones, which is the verifiable number. The (now absent) fourth stone stood close to the central stone and was dug out and broken up, allegedly by treasure hunters. Most of it was used to build the bridge in Boroughbridge called Peg Bridge, which crosses the river Tutt as it enters the town.
According to tradition the top of this fourth stone was to be found in the grounds of Aldborough Hall, which stands between Boroughbridge and Aldborough.
In 1322, the Battle of Boroughbridge
took place as King Edward II overpowered Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, bringing about the end of Edward II's retaliation against those who had opposed him in the Despenser War of 1320–1321.
Boroughbridge was a parliamentary borough from medieval times, electing two Members of Parliament
to the unreformed Commons
. It had a "burgage" franchise, meaning that the right to vote was tied to ownership of certain pieces of property in the borough, and it had less than 100 qualified voters by the time it was abolished in the Reform Act
of 1832: It was a pocket borough entirely under the control of the Dukes of Newcastle
. Augustus FitzRoy
, who was later Prime Minister
as the 3rd Duke of Grafton
, was elected MP for Boroughbridge in 1756; however, he never sat for the borough as he preferred to represent Bury St Edmunds where he had also been elected.
In the days of stagecoach
es, Boroughbridge was an important stage, thanks to its position on the Great North Road midway between London and Edinburgh. An advertisement in the Edinburgh Courant
for 1754 reads:
In 1945 the A1 bridge over the River Ure collapsed under the weight of a heavy transport vehicle carrying an 80-ton steel mill
roll housing from Sheffield
to Falkirk
. That interrupted a main transport route only for a short while, the Army installing a Bailey bridge
until repairs were completed.
specialises in performing arts and has a library, computer rooms and a drama studio. It celebrated its 25th anniversary in the summer of 2007.
Close to Boroughbridge is the village of Aldborough
, once the site of the Roman
settlement Isurium Brigantum
(SE406664). There is a small museum.
Harrogate (borough)
Harrogate is a local government district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Harrogate but it also includes surrounding towns and villages...
district of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England. It is situated
13 miles (20.9 km) northwest of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. Until its bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
was built, it was on the main A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The A1 crosses the River Ure
River Ure
The River Ure is a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only one of the Dales now named after a village rather than its river...
here.
Origin of the name
Traditionally the origin of the name "Boroughbridge" lies in its location relative to the nearby town of AldboroughAldborough, North Yorkshire
Aldborough is a village in the civil parish of Boroughbridge, part of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England.Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, what is now known as Aldborough was built on the site of a major Romano-British town, Isurium Brigantum...
. Aldborough was the principal town in the area during the Roman period, known then as Isurium Brigantum
Isurium Brigantum
Isurium Brigantum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Aldborough, in North Yorkshire, England.-Possible Roman fort:...
. After the Norman Conquest it appears that the crossing of Dere Street
Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street, was a Roman road between Eboracum and Veluniate, in what is now Scotland. It still exists in the form of the route of many major roads, including the A1 and A68 just north of Corbridge.Its name corresponds with the post Roman Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Deira, through...
(the Roman Road heading to the North from York) over the Ure was diverted from just north of Aldborough to its present position in the town of Boroughbridge.
A new town grew up around this crossing and, whilst the Old Town became known as the "Ald-Borough" (Hence Aldborough), the New Town became "New Borough on t'Brigg" (Brigg being Bridge), which naturally became "Borough on t'Brigg" and finally Boroughbridge.
History
A line of three menhirMenhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
s, or standing stones, known as The Devil's Arrows
Devil's Arrows
The Devil's Arrows are three standing stones or menhirs in an alignment erected near where the A1 road now crosses the River Ure at Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, England .-Site:...
, believed to have been erected in the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, can be found on the outskirts of Boroughbridge, just by the side of the A1. The tallest stone is 6.8 metres (22.3 ft) tall. The stones are of millstone grit, probably quarried from nearby Plumpton, the closest source of this material.
The stones stand on an almost north–south alignment, with the central stone slightly offset.
Historically there were certainly more stones. The first reference to them is from the journal of a Fisherman named Peter Frankck who visited Boroughbridge in 1694, and claims he saw 7 stones. The famous antiquarian John Leyland (Sometimes incorrectly spelt John Leland) saw four stones, which is the verifiable number. The (now absent) fourth stone stood close to the central stone and was dug out and broken up, allegedly by treasure hunters. Most of it was used to build the bridge in Boroughbridge called Peg Bridge, which crosses the river Tutt as it enters the town.
According to tradition the top of this fourth stone was to be found in the grounds of Aldborough Hall, which stands between Boroughbridge and Aldborough.
In 1322, the Battle of Boroughbridge
Battle of Boroughbridge
The Battle of Boroughbridge was a battle fought on 16 March 1322 between a group of rebellious barons and King Edward II of England, near Boroughbridge, northwest of York. The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the king and Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, his most powerful subject, it...
took place as King Edward II overpowered Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, bringing about the end of Edward II's retaliation against those who had opposed him in the Despenser War of 1320–1321.
Boroughbridge was a parliamentary borough from medieval times, electing two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to the unreformed Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
. It had a "burgage" franchise, meaning that the right to vote was tied to ownership of certain pieces of property in the borough, and it had less than 100 qualified voters by the time it was abolished in the Reform Act
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
of 1832: It was a pocket borough entirely under the control of the Dukes of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
. Augustus FitzRoy
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, KG, PC , styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, was a British Whig statesman of the Georgian era...
, who was later Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
as the 3rd Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy...
, was elected MP for Boroughbridge in 1756; however, he never sat for the borough as he preferred to represent Bury St Edmunds where he had also been elected.
In the days of stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
es, Boroughbridge was an important stage, thanks to its position on the Great North Road midway between London and Edinburgh. An advertisement in the Edinburgh Courant
Edinburgh Courant
The Edinburgh Courant was a broadsheet newspaper from the 18th Century. It was published out of Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. Its first issue was dated Feb 14-19, 1705 and was sold for a penny. It was one of the country's first regional papers, second only to the Norwich Post...
for 1754 reads:
In 1945 the A1 bridge over the River Ure collapsed under the weight of a heavy transport vehicle carrying an 80-ton steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
roll housing from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
to Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
. That interrupted a main transport route only for a short while, the Army installing a Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
until repairs were completed.
Present day
Boroughbridge has both a primary school and a high school. Boroughbridge High SchoolBoroughbridge High School
Boroughbridge High School is a mixed, nonselective, state secondary. The school was awarded specialist status for performing arts in September 2003. specialist performing arts college located in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, England...
specialises in performing arts and has a library, computer rooms and a drama studio. It celebrated its 25th anniversary in the summer of 2007.
Close to Boroughbridge is the village of Aldborough
Aldborough, North Yorkshire
Aldborough is a village in the civil parish of Boroughbridge, part of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England.Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, what is now known as Aldborough was built on the site of a major Romano-British town, Isurium Brigantum...
, once the site of the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
settlement Isurium Brigantum
Isurium Brigantum
Isurium Brigantum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Aldborough, in North Yorkshire, England.-Possible Roman fort:...
(SE406664). There is a small museum.