The Bridge and Chapel at St Ives

Turning from the theme, but not the itinerary, of the Pilgrimage a medieval pilgrim at Cambridge seeking to travel to the next stage at Coventry might have headed north west to cross the Great Ouse at St Ives before setting off across the Midlands. Had they done so exactly six hundred years ago they would have been amongst the first to cross the elegant new bridge and to pause for prayer and probably to pay the toll in the new chapel. 

The Bridge and Chapel at St Ives

Image: Wikipedia 

The bridge had been rebuilt in stone between 1414 and 1425, and the chapel of St Ledger at the mid-point was completed in 1426. Why the gruesomely martyred seventh century Merovingian bishop of Autun was selected as the patron is not apparently recorded or suggested. The choice may reflect the views of the community at Ramsey Abbey who were the owners of the bridge, or maybe that the new chapel was dedicated on the feast day of St Ledger (Leodegar) on October 2nd.

The not uneventful history of the bridge is set out in considerable detail by Wikipedia at St_Ives_Bridge

There is also an account of St Leger at Leodegar 

Two more articles from the National Churches Trust  at St Ives St Ledger Chapel and from St Ives 100 years ago at St Ives Bridge & Chapel  are virtually word for word the same, but one has illustrations. 

There is another account from r-l-p.co.uk at St. Ives Bridge Chapel, St. Ives, Huntingdonshire

The BBC News website reports on the anniversary and celebrations to mark it at St Ives 'gem' celebrates 600 years