Brig o' Balgownie
Encyclopedia
The Brig o' Balgownie is a 13th century bridge spanning the River Don
in Old Aberdeen
, Aberdeen
, Scotland
.
Construction of the bridge was begun in the late 13th century by Richard Cementarius
, although its completion was not until 1320 at the time of the Scottish War of Independence
. After falling into disrepair in the mid 16th century it was extensively renovated in 1605.
Throughout its history the bridge has been considered an important asset. For five centuries possession of the bridge was the only way to move large armies quickly along the eastern coast of Aberdeenshire. It also provided a trade route to the wealthy areas of the north-east of Scotland.
The bridge is constructed of granite
and sandstone
. Its single gothic arch
has span of over 12 metres and at low tide the apex
of the arch lies over 17 metres above the water-line.
The bridge ceased to be a major route in 1830 when the new Bridge of Don
was built five hundred yards downstream. Today it is open to foot and bicycle traffic only and is infamous throughout the student population of Aberdeen University where students jump off the bridge at high tide during the summer. However students can still jump at low tide as the river is still deep enough at a fair 17 ft deep at low tide.
, or just a smith
. The first recorded instance of the name of Polgowny dates from 1256, but it is in all likelihood older.
. It is said that Cheyne started the work but fled Bruce's troops, and then Bruce finished the work later on. However, the earliest written version of the origins of the bridge is slightly at odds with later ones. The first written history of the bridge was by Sir Alexander Hay, in a charter
of 1605. In the charter he wrote that the bridge "was built by command, and at the expense of, the deceased most invincible prince, Robert Bruce, king of the Kingdom of Scotland." This account only contains one element of what becomes a fairly consistent story. Parson Gordon was the first to record a fuller version of the story some sixty years after Hay. He wrote: "No man can certainly tell who builded the Bridge of Done. The commone and most probable reporte is that the renouned Prince Robert Bruisse, King of Scotland, at such tyme as he banished B. Henrie Cheyne from his sea, and drave him out of Scotland beside, did command for to sequester the bishops yeerlie revenue to be imployed towards pious uses, and that this bridge (which is lyke to be true) was builted with a part of that revenue." Thus the two earliest versions of this story both put the onus for building the bridge on Robert the Bruce, and neither mention involvement by Bishop Cheyne. This story has been repeated a number of times over the centuries often with only minor changes. In 1780 Francis Douglas
wrote that it "is said to have been built by Henry Cheyne, bishop of Aberdeen, about the year 1290, or by King Robert the Bruce, who perhaps completed what the bishop had begun." In the 19th century Camden wrote that "it was projected by Bishop Henry Cheyne … and built at his expense". In the 20th century Alexander Keith tells all elements of the story: that it was started by Bruce or Cheyne, but certainly completed by the former. He favours the Bruce version citing Hay and Boece
as his evidence. The story about the involvement of Cementarius is an entirely new one, and seems to be no older than the 20th century. It was perhaps first stated by W. Douglas Simpson
.
Richard Cementarius is often cited as the first Provost
of Aberdeen, or rather the first Alderman
. However, that can not be correct: what would be correct would be to say that he is the first person whose name has been connected with that office in some official document, and that therefore he is the first recorded Provost of Aberdeen. However that does not seem to be true either. Certainly Richard is an historical figure: there is a contemporary reference to Richard in the Exchequer Rolls return for Aberdeen of 1264 which refers to "Magistro Ri. Cementario" in the context of work being carried out of Aberdeen Castle
. What is important is that he is not specifically described as "provost". Other documents about him all refer to him as a burgess of the Burgh
, but never as provost. Moreoever he seems to have been dead by 1294. In that year Malcolm of Palogoueny and Duncan the merchant, both described as burgesses, wrote a charter in which they acted as guarantors of the estate of the late Richard, also described as burgess. He had left monies and annual rents to the altar of St John the Apostle in the Church of St Nicholas. The altar itself he seems to have founded in 1277. So from these it is probable that he was alive in 1277 but dead by 1294, therefore any involvement that he had with building the bridge would have to have been before 1294. As we do not know when the bridge was built it is unclear if he could have been involved. But it is a modern story whose only real prop is the similarity between the arch in the bridge and an arch in Drum Castle
, also ascribed to Cementarius, but not proved and that certainly needs more research. However, it may simply have reflected a common building style.
River Don, Aberdeenshire
The River Don is a river in north-east Scotland. It rises in the Grampians and flows eastwards, through Aberdeenshire, to the North Sea at Aberdeen. The Don passes through Alford, Kemnay, Inverurie, Kintore, and Dyce...
in Old Aberdeen
Old Aberdeen
Old Aberdeen is part of the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. Old Aberdeen was originally a separate burgh, which was erected into a burgh of barony on 26 December 1489. It was incorporated into adjacent Aberdeen by Act of Parliament in 1891...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Construction of the bridge was begun in the late 13th century by Richard Cementarius
Richard Cementarius
Richard Cementarius was a 13th century Scottish architect and became the first Provost of Aberdeen in 1272. He held the title of Kings Master Mason to King Alexander III of Scotland....
, although its completion was not until 1320 at the time of the Scottish War of Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
. After falling into disrepair in the mid 16th century it was extensively renovated in 1605.
Throughout its history the bridge has been considered an important asset. For five centuries possession of the bridge was the only way to move large armies quickly along the eastern coast of Aberdeenshire. It also provided a trade route to the wealthy areas of the north-east of Scotland.
The bridge is constructed of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. Its single gothic arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
has span of over 12 metres and at low tide the apex
Apex (geometry)
In geometry, an apex is the vertex which is in some sense the highest of the figure to which it belongs.*In an isosceles triangle, the apex is the vertex where the two sides of equal length meet, opposite the unequal third side....
of the arch lies over 17 metres above the water-line.
The bridge ceased to be a major route in 1830 when the new Bridge of Don
Bridge of Don (bridge)
The Bridge of Don is a five-arch granite bridge crossing the River Don just above its mouth in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was built 1825, and later gave its name to the suburb of the city on the north bank....
was built five hundred yards downstream. Today it is open to foot and bicycle traffic only and is infamous throughout the student population of Aberdeen University where students jump off the bridge at high tide during the summer. However students can still jump at low tide as the river is still deep enough at a fair 17 ft deep at low tide.
History
The text below is taken from the notes of a public talk History of the Brig o'Balgownie given by Dr. Christopher P. Croly from the Archaeological Unit at Aberdeen City Council.Origin of the bridge's name
The name Balgownie comes from the surrounding area, which from an early time was a barony. The name itself is of Gaelic origin, but is a source of some debate. Some authorities agree that the first part of the name, derived from Baile and means town. However the very earliest references to the barony, or settlement, of Balgownie invariably have the word as Palgoueny, or Polgowny, or a number of minor variants, generally starting with Pol. Pol relates to a pool, probably the one known as the "black neuk". However it may be that P and B are interchangeable and the distinction may not affect the meaning. However there are two possible suggestions for the second part, some say that gabhainn, gen. of gabhann, means a cattle-fold. Whilst others have asserted that it derives from gobhainn which indicates a blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, or just a smith
Smith (metalwork)
A metalsmith, often shortened to smith, is a person involved in making metal objects. In contemporary use a metalsmith is a person who uses metal as a material, uses traditional metalsmithing techniques , whose work thematically relates to the practice or history of the practice, or who engages in...
. The first recorded instance of the name of Polgowny dates from 1256, but it is in all likelihood older.
Who built the bridge
The familiar story is that the stone bridge was commissioned by either Bishop Henry Cheyne or Robert the Bruce, or indeed was begun by the former and completed by the latter, and that the work was done by Richard CementariusRichard Cementarius
Richard Cementarius was a 13th century Scottish architect and became the first Provost of Aberdeen in 1272. He held the title of Kings Master Mason to King Alexander III of Scotland....
. It is said that Cheyne started the work but fled Bruce's troops, and then Bruce finished the work later on. However, the earliest written version of the origins of the bridge is slightly at odds with later ones. The first written history of the bridge was by Sir Alexander Hay, in a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
of 1605. In the charter he wrote that the bridge "was built by command, and at the expense of, the deceased most invincible prince, Robert Bruce, king of the Kingdom of Scotland." This account only contains one element of what becomes a fairly consistent story. Parson Gordon was the first to record a fuller version of the story some sixty years after Hay. He wrote: "No man can certainly tell who builded the Bridge of Done. The commone and most probable reporte is that the renouned Prince Robert Bruisse, King of Scotland, at such tyme as he banished B. Henrie Cheyne from his sea, and drave him out of Scotland beside, did command for to sequester the bishops yeerlie revenue to be imployed towards pious uses, and that this bridge (which is lyke to be true) was builted with a part of that revenue." Thus the two earliest versions of this story both put the onus for building the bridge on Robert the Bruce, and neither mention involvement by Bishop Cheyne. This story has been repeated a number of times over the centuries often with only minor changes. In 1780 Francis Douglas
Francis Douglas
Francis Douglas may refer to:*Francis Douglas , Missionary in Philippines*Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss *Lord Francis Douglas , son of Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry who was killed in the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn*Francis Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig *Francis...
wrote that it "is said to have been built by Henry Cheyne, bishop of Aberdeen, about the year 1290, or by King Robert the Bruce, who perhaps completed what the bishop had begun." In the 19th century Camden wrote that "it was projected by Bishop Henry Cheyne … and built at his expense". In the 20th century Alexander Keith tells all elements of the story: that it was started by Bruce or Cheyne, but certainly completed by the former. He favours the Bruce version citing Hay and Boece
Boëcé
Boëcé is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.-Changes in population:-See also:*Communes of the Orne department*...
as his evidence. The story about the involvement of Cementarius is an entirely new one, and seems to be no older than the 20th century. It was perhaps first stated by W. Douglas Simpson
W. Douglas Simpson
William Douglas Simpson CBE was a Scottish architecture and archaeology academic and writer.Born in Aberdeen, he was appointed Assistant in History at the University of Aberdeen, before becoming Lecturer in British History...
.
Richard Cementarius is often cited as the first Provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
of Aberdeen, or rather the first Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
. However, that can not be correct: what would be correct would be to say that he is the first person whose name has been connected with that office in some official document, and that therefore he is the first recorded Provost of Aberdeen. However that does not seem to be true either. Certainly Richard is an historical figure: there is a contemporary reference to Richard in the Exchequer Rolls return for Aberdeen of 1264 which refers to "Magistro Ri. Cementario" in the context of work being carried out of Aberdeen Castle
Aberdeen Castle
Aberdeen Castle was a late Middle Ages fortification, in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was situated on Castle Hill, a site today known as the Castlegate, where a block of flats are currently located....
. What is important is that he is not specifically described as "provost". Other documents about him all refer to him as a burgess of the Burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
, but never as provost. Moreoever he seems to have been dead by 1294. In that year Malcolm of Palogoueny and Duncan the merchant, both described as burgesses, wrote a charter in which they acted as guarantors of the estate of the late Richard, also described as burgess. He had left monies and annual rents to the altar of St John the Apostle in the Church of St Nicholas. The altar itself he seems to have founded in 1277. So from these it is probable that he was alive in 1277 but dead by 1294, therefore any involvement that he had with building the bridge would have to have been before 1294. As we do not know when the bridge was built it is unclear if he could have been involved. But it is a modern story whose only real prop is the similarity between the arch in the bridge and an arch in Drum Castle
Drum Castle
Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine. The place-name Drum is derived from Gaelic druim, 'ridge'....
, also ascribed to Cementarius, but not proved and that certainly needs more research. However, it may simply have reflected a common building style.