Seaton is a small Devon Seaside town. It has a shingle beach with views of the Jurassic Coast line.
Seaton is a small Devon Seaside town.It has a shingle beach with views of the Jurassic Coast line.
It is thought there was a ford on the site ever since a settlement existed in the area.
In 1107AD a wooden Toll bridge was built as part of Ramsey Abbeys development of the settlement.
In 1414 work began on a stone replacement which was completed in 1425. A chapel was added in 1426 dedicated to St Leger.
Bridges with chapels were not uncommon in mediaeval times. Today St Ives bridge is only one of four remaining.
Following the dissolution of monasteries in 1539, the chapel became a private residence.
Two extra floors were added in 1736. During the mid 1800s the building was a pub called Little Hell, an establishment with a somewhat dubious reputation.
In 1930 due to concern over the safety of the chapel structure the extra two stories were removed and it was restored as a chapel. Until the building of the bypass in 1980, the bridge was the only access from the south over the Great Ouse and into St Ives for over a thousand years.
