Folly Bridge and Folly Island

The tower - Friar Bacon's study - at the southern end of Folly Bridge appears to have been hexagonal, with first and second storeys and mullioned windows (added by Thomas Welcome in the early 17th century). The road taking travellers onto Folly Bridge passed under it, through a round arch. Tom Tower at Christ Church on St Aldates can be seen in the distance. Image © Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire History Centre.

Oxford's first stone bridge, known as South Bridge, was built over the Thames by Robert d'Oilly (who also built Oxford Castle) in the 11th century. It was part of the great causeway, or grand pont, which carried what is now the Abingdon Road over water meadows, on more than forty arches, from St Aldates to the bottom of Hinksey Hill. A defensive tower, with a portcullis, drawbridge and heavy gates was built at the southern end of the bridge, probably in the 13th century. It was known as New Gate and provided a barrier to anyone approaching the South Gate of the city (which was on St Aldates, where Christ Church now stands) from along the causeway. Timber, iron bars and locks were bought for it in 1310-11 and repairs were made regularly throughout the later Middle Ages. The defensive tower became known as Friar Bacon’s study because the Franciscan Friar Roger Bacon, who lived between 1214 and 1292, and was said to be the founder of English philosophy and one of the greatest minds in Europe, apparently used it as an observatory to study astronomy.

Like Magdalen Bridge (which was known as Petty Pont, 'small bridge'), South Bridge was largely maintained by charity and bridge hermits were appointed from at least the 13th century to collect alms and carry out repairs. In about 1360 the town bought property on the eastern side of the causeway for the bridge hermits, where Grandpont Villas (65-85 Abingdon Road) are now. The Hermitage or Bridgewright's place was here, and opposite it was the wayside chapel of St Nicholas, where alms for the bridge were collected. Hermits were appointed until the late 15th century. In about 1530 repairs were being paid for by the President of Corpus Christi College and his donation was cited in the next century as evidence that the maintenance of the bridge was the college's responsibilty. For centuries disputes continued over the respective liabilities of Corpus Christi, the city, the university and the county of Berkshire [land south of Folly Bridge was in Berkshire until 1889].

Drawing of an estate map of c. 1500 (with east at the top) showing arches of the Grandpont causeway, with Friar Bacon's study at the far left (at the southern end of Folly Bridge). The chapel of St Nicholas is the small building with the steeply-pitched roof, standing end-on to the western side of the causeway (in 'Cow Meadow'). Opposite it was the hermitage occupied by the bridgewrights. Drawing by Herbert Hurst, Plans & Drawings of Oxford, 1913; © The Bodleian Library, MS Top Oxon a.18, 20.

The tower (at this time still single-storey) and the causeway are shown on an estate map of c. 1500. There was a drawbridge on at least one side of the tower; this drawbridge remained until the 17th century. From early in its life the tower was a place of residence, but it continued to be viewed as a defensive structure: as late as 1565 the city, in leasing it to the Berkshire archdeaconry court, reserved the right of entry at all times for the city's defence. But by the early 17th century the defensive gate was no longer in use and shortly after 1611 Thomas Waltham (alias Welcome) added another storey to the tower and it became known as Welcome's Folly, giving the bridge its present name.