The Castle Mill Stream at Quaking Bridge - geograph

Quaking Bridge is a bridge over the

Castle Mill Stream Castle Mill Stream is a backwater of the River Thames in the west of Oxford, England. It is 5.5 km long. Course The stream leaves the main course of the River Thames at the south end of Port Meadow, immediately upstream of Medley Foo ...

in the city of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, England. It connects to

St Thomas' Street Park End Street is a street in central Oxford, England, to the west of the centre of the city, close to the railway station at its western end. Location To the east, New Road links Park End Street to central Oxford. To the west, Frideswide ...

and

Paradise Street Paradise Street is a short street in the core area of Birmingham City Centre, in England. Paradise Street runs roughly from Victoria Square to Suffolk Street and Broad Street. The street existed in 1796 when a congregation gathered at a meeti ...

and Tidmarsh Lane to the east. It is close to

Oxford Castle Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined medieval castle on the western side of central Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Most of the original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century and ...

, immediately to the east. To the north on the Castle Mill Stream are

Pacey's Bridge Park End Street is a street in central Oxford, England, to the west of the centre of the city, close to the railway station at its western end. Location To the east, New Road links Park End Street to central Oxford. To the west, Frideswide S ...

and Hythe Bridge. To the south is Swan Bridge. There has been a bridge at this location from at least the late 13th century. Quaking Bridge was first mentioned in 1297, but is probably much older. It crossed the Castle Mill Stream immediately west of Oxford Castle, on a road that connected Oxford and St Thomas's parish (hence St Thomas' Street here now) before the castle existed. The Canons of

Oseney Abbey Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford st ...

used it each day for services in St George's Chapel at the castle. The responsibility for the bridge's upkeep was meant to be that of the King. The bridge was originally wooden. In 1821, it had three arches and open timberwork acting as railings. The bridge was replaced with an iron one in 1835. The name of the bridge may derive from its former unsafe condition.

References

External links

Quaking bridge Water Levels
8 June 2008 Bridges completed in 1835 Bridges in Oxford {{UK-bridge-struct-stub