A stone bridge believed to have been built in the 13th century appears to be in its original state or possibly rebuilt or at the very least has been protected from tarmac. A revelation!
History says that this was a Roman route.
Legend tells that the Lord of Montchemin required a bridge instead of the ford so that he could cross the stream but no one offered to build one. Prayers were said. Magically at night faeries built the bridge whilst ladies' backs were turned!
Stories are told that in the 15th Century, Joan of Arc rode with her retinue to see Charles VII in Chinon. She crossed the ford and bridge on a route that connects Amboise and Poitiers.
The bridge has three unequal arches and as far as I can understand from French websites and poor internet translation, she was travelling to collect a sword from St Catherine of Ironwood or from a church of St Catherine.
Evidently, it is part of one of the four French routes to St Jacques de Compostela in Spain.
I love this bridge which reminds me of Dartmoor.
 |
| I borrowed this photo from the internet. |
That bridge reminds me of the drovers' toll bridge at Carrbridge [nr Aviemore] in the Highlands... wide enough to allow passage of one beast or horseman only... it made counting and levying of tolls easier.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a huge drovers' fair there, once per year... the cattle, once sold were then taken down the drove roads along the Pennine, before being herded through Norfolk to the Horsford Spring Faire [most of the site is now under Norwich Airport].
Once there, they were sold on to the graziers for fattening on the Norfolk Broads for the summer months before returning to Horsford for the Meat Faire... where drovers again bought them and marched them down to Spittalfields... no wonder Aberdeen Angus and Highland Cow taste so good!!