Revealed: the amazing history of York's Ouse Bridge

The earliest version of today’s Ouse Bridge dates back to the Vikings.

But according to York Civic Trust the bridge’s history is largely unknown, by visitors and residents alike.

The Trust has been digging into the bridge’s past - and the results of its research will be revealed in a talk at the Friargate Centre at 5.30pm on Thursday.

York Civic Trust chief executive Andrew Morrison said: “To the hundreds of people who use it every day, Ouse Bridge is often considered just a dull bridge - a way to cross the river as quickly as possible.

“But it is York’s oldest bridge that survives today, and once we started looking into its history, we discovered many fascinating stories connected to it. We hope that this research will help people see the bridge as a much more interesting place to be.”

The Trust says that, for centuries, the bridge was the only means of crossing the River Ouse in York.

Ouse Bridge in aboput 1905. The River King can be seen moored at King's Staith front left. The tramlines runnign across the bridge were for horse-drawn trams: this photo was taken before electric trams came to York. (Image: YAYAS)

For much of its history, it was the centre of commercial life in the city and the place where the timekeeping of the city was regulated.

The bridge, which has been rebuilt at least three times, was also home to the city council, courts of justice, and the scene of a medieval bloody skirmish.

It is also associated with not one but two saints.

One is St William – aka Willam Fitzherbert, the medieval Archbishop of York.

The story goes that so many people crowded onto the old wooden Ouse Bridge in 1153 to witness William’s return to York to take up his post as Archbishop for a second time that the bridge collapsed. The legend has it that William called on God to save the drowning – and miraculously no one was hurt.

Ouse Bridge as it is today (Image: Newsquest)

The bridge was rebuilt in stone, partially washed away in a medieval flood, then repaired. And in 1586, another saint - St Margaret - was executed on the bridge in the most horrible way possible, by being pressed to death under a door loaded with stones.

The ‘old’ Ouse bridge on which St Maragret was executed reportedly had a central arch spanning 81 feet, and carried a number of buildings, including a chapel, a gaol, houses and shops.

It was dismantled to make way for today’s ‘New’ Ouse Bridge, which was completed in 1821.

Dr Duncan Marks, the civic trust’s planning and heritage manager, says the importance of the bridge in York’s history can’t be over-estimated.

Duncan Marks of York Civic Trust (Image: Supplied)

“We want to help raise the profile of the bridge, the historic importance of which is somewhat hidden in plain sight and yet has been so integral to York’s history,” he said.

“We’ll be sharing what we’ve learnt about the bridge for the first time in a special talk that we’re hosting this Thursday.”

York Civic Trust talk ‘Ouse Bridge - Saints, shops and staithes’, The Friargate Centre, 5.30pm, Thursday. Tickets £5 from www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ouse-bridge-saints-shops-and-staithes-tickets-925860282027?aff=oddtdtcreator