Bideford Long Bridge

Bideford Long Bridge crosses the River Torridge near its estuary, joining the old town of Bideford on the west bank with East-the-Water on the east. Built mainly in the 14th century, it is one of England’s longest medieval bridges at 677 feet with 24 arches. The river remains tidal here, so water levels rise and fall sharply twice each day. An old custom on New Year’s Eve asks runners to cross the bridge in the time it takes St Mary’s church bells to strike midnight. In winter, flocks of starlings gather at dusk beneath the arches before roosting. The bridge began as an oak structure in the late 13th century and was rebuilt in stone a century later. Local families such as the Grenvilles and the Gurneys helped pay for it, while bishops in Exeter granted indulgences to encourage donations. The Devon historian William George Hoskins noted that the first wooden bridge was built between 1275 and 1300. John Prince, a 17th-century biographer, recorded that Sir Theobald Grenville II largely funded the stone bridge during his minority. Bishops Edmund Stafford and Edmund Lacey later issued further indulgences for repairs in 1396, 1437 and 1444. Visitors walk along the broad stone arches and feel the bridge’s gentle movement underfoot. The uneven spans reflect the original timber lengths or the positions of large river stones used as foundations. On the west side stands St Mary’s parish church, whose bells mark the midnight tradition. The Burton at Bideford museum holds a detailed model showing how the bridge changed from 1280 to 1925. East-the-Water offers views upriver towards the tidal limits at Weare Giffard. The bridge remains a quiet witness to centuries of trade, tides and local generosity.