Gazing at High Bridge, have you ever wondered about its curious name? Originally known as High Bridge, this Victorian marvel in Oxford, England, earned its current name, Hythe Bridge, from a Saxon word, “hithe.” This term referred to the wharf, or landing place, that bustled beside the bridge in times gone by. Today, High Bridge stands as a vital artery on Hythe Bridge Street. It carries the A4144, a road that morphs into the Botley Road (A420) as it stretches westward. The current iron structure, designed by local engineer John Galpin in 1861, replaced earlier incarnations. Long before the iron and steel of the Victorian era, a simple wooden bridge stood on this very spot, built by Oseney Abbey between 1200 and 1210. Later, in 1383, a stone bridge with three graceful arches took its place. The High Bridge we see today spans the tranquil Castle Mill Stream. This waterway is actually a backwater of the mighty River Thames. Just a stone’s throw northeast of High Bridge lies the southern terminus of the Oxford Canal. Imagine the scene in years past: the canal continued south, leading to a bustling basin filled with wharves. Today, that scene exists only in memory. The basin was filled in 1951, transformed into a car park and part of Nuffield College. High Bridge silently bears witness to this transformation, a steadfast link between Oxford’s past and present.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to