Magdalen Bridge, Oxford
Encyclopedia
Magdalen Bridge spans the divided stream of the River Cherwell
just to the east of the City of Oxford
, England
, and next to Magdalen College
, whence it gets its name and pronunciation. It connects the High Street
to the west with The Plain
, now a roundabout
, to the east.
By the 1770s the stone bridge was too narrow for the increasing traffic, as it did not allow two vehicles crossing safely. In addition to this, the structure was becoming unsound due to the combination of two factors: a generalized lack of maintenance and the negative effects of regular flooding. Eventually some of the arches of the western side collapsed during the floods of February 1772, making the bridge irreparable.
of Shrewsbury
with a similar length to the previous one. It has a total of 11 arches of different dimensions distributed as follows. For each of the two branches of the river there are three large semicircular arches plus two smaller ones at each side of the river, originally designed for the towpaths. A central elliptical arch, the only existing in the long central area across the island, completes the structure. This arch only conveys water when the island gets submerged. The original plans of the bridge are in the British Library, 1802 c.17, vol.2, and King's Maps xxxvi, 33 (1)..
The bridge, built between 1772 and 1790 by John Randall, had originally a width of 27 feet (8.2 m), which accommodated a single roadway and two pavements. Although the bridge was opened to traffic by the end of 1778, a new scheme for the balustrade and the completion of the south western corner were not finished until 1782 and 1790 respectively..
Gwynn's original design included a grandiloquent decoration for the balustrade with sculptures and sphinxes that despite of being commissioned to Henry Webber
in 1778 were eventually abandoned in 1782..
Despite opposition from university members, the bridge was widened in 1882 to accommodate a four-foot gauge track for the tramway.. The 18th-century bridge was widened by 20 feet (6.1 m) on the south side, but design was retained.
As well as Magdalen College and its tower, also close by are the Oxford Botanic Garden and Magdalen College School
. It is possible to hire punts
from a small boathouse at the base of the bridge next to Magdalen College.
The bridge is the scene of large crowds every 1 May early in the morning for the traditional May Morning
celebrations in Oxford
. There has been a recent tradition of students to jump off the bridge, despite the danger of injury due to low water levels in the Cherwell. In some years many jumpers have been injured and, in order to avoid this, the bridge is now routinely closed on May Morning.
According to Pevsner
, the bridge has "good sturdy balusters", although these have been replaced over the years because of degradation due to pollution.
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...
just to the east of the City of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and next to Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, whence it gets its name and pronunciation. It connects the High Street
High Street, Oxford
The High Street in Oxford, England runs between Carfax, generally recognized as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. Locally the street is often known as The High. It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc...
to the west with The Plain
The Plain, Oxford
The Plain is an important junction, now a roundabout constructed in 1950, just east of Magdalen Bridge in Oxford, England. To the east and southeast are St Clement's, Cowley Road and Iffley Road. Magdalen College School is to the south...
, now a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
, to the east.
Antecedents
This point of the Cherwell has been used for crossing since ancient times. The first known reference to a bridge goes back to 1004 and originally it was probably a wooden trestle construction or a drawbridge. By the 16th century a late medieval stone bridge had replaced the wooden one. This bridge was about 1500 feet (457.2 m) long and was formed by 20 arches.By the 1770s the stone bridge was too narrow for the increasing traffic, as it did not allow two vehicles crossing safely. In addition to this, the structure was becoming unsound due to the combination of two factors: a generalized lack of maintenance and the negative effects of regular flooding. Eventually some of the arches of the western side collapsed during the floods of February 1772, making the bridge irreparable.
The new bridge
The present stone bridge was designed by John GwynnJohn Gwynn
John Gwynn was an English architect and civil engineer of the 18th century, and one of the founder members of the Royal Academy in 1768....
of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
with a similar length to the previous one. It has a total of 11 arches of different dimensions distributed as follows. For each of the two branches of the river there are three large semicircular arches plus two smaller ones at each side of the river, originally designed for the towpaths. A central elliptical arch, the only existing in the long central area across the island, completes the structure. This arch only conveys water when the island gets submerged. The original plans of the bridge are in the British Library, 1802 c.17, vol.2, and King's Maps xxxvi, 33 (1)..
The bridge, built between 1772 and 1790 by John Randall, had originally a width of 27 feet (8.2 m), which accommodated a single roadway and two pavements. Although the bridge was opened to traffic by the end of 1778, a new scheme for the balustrade and the completion of the south western corner were not finished until 1782 and 1790 respectively..
Gwynn's original design included a grandiloquent decoration for the balustrade with sculptures and sphinxes that despite of being commissioned to Henry Webber
Henry Webber
Henry Webber was an English sculptor and modeller.The son of a Swiss sculptor who moved to England, he was awarded in 1776 the Royal Academy Gold Medal. In 1778, Webber was chosen by the Oxford Paving Commission to carry out the sculptures and sphinxes for the balustrade of John Gwynn's Magdalen...
in 1778 were eventually abandoned in 1782..
Despite opposition from university members, the bridge was widened in 1882 to accommodate a four-foot gauge track for the tramway.. The 18th-century bridge was widened by 20 feet (6.1 m) on the south side, but design was retained.
Trivia
Magdalen College School, Oxford
Magdalen College School is an independent school for boys aged 7 to 18 and girls in the sixth form, located on The Plain in Oxford, England. It was founded as part of Magdalen College, Oxford by William Waynflete in 1480....
. It is possible to hire punts
Punt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
from a small boathouse at the base of the bridge next to Magdalen College.
The bridge is the scene of large crowds every 1 May early in the morning for the traditional May Morning
May Morning
May Morning is an annual event in Oxford, England, on May Day . It starts early at 6am with the Magdalen College Choir singing a hymn, the Hymnus Eucharisticus, from the top of Magdalen Tower, a tradition of over 500 years. Large crowds normally gather under the tower along the High Street and on...
celebrations in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. There has been a recent tradition of students to jump off the bridge, despite the danger of injury due to low water levels in the Cherwell. In some years many jumpers have been injured and, in order to avoid this, the bridge is now routinely closed on May Morning.
According to Pevsner
Pevsner
Pevsner is a surname, and may refer to:* Antoine Pevsner , a Russian sculptor* Sir Nikolaus Pevsner , a German-born British scholar of the history of architecture;** ....
, the bridge has "good sturdy balusters", although these have been replaced over the years because of degradation due to pollution.
See also
- Oxfordshire Heritage Search (type "Magdalen Bridge" and browse to the Oxfordshire Photographic Archive to see old and new pictures of the bridge).
External links
- Magdalen Bridge, Oxford
- Magdalen Bridge Boathouse
- Restrictions on Magdalen Bridge by Tom Pinnock, The Oxford StudentThe Oxford StudentThe Oxford Student is a newspaper produced by and for students of the University of Oxford; it is sometimes abbreviated to The OxStu. The paper was established in 1992 by the Oxford University Student Union...
, 2004