I’m afraid this is another post about Crowland, but I hope you will bear with me. It will be worth it if you are a pontist, or possibly a gephyrophile.
Pontist is used to denote someone who is very interested in bridges. Gephyrophile, though translated from the Greek, and therefore a very respectable scientific word, is not, in my opinion, as easy on the tongue. It is also a term used to describe people who have a compulsion to cross bridges. This is not quite the same as merely liking them. The other thing against it as a word is that it sounds rather to close to a term you might use for someone who likes people called Geoffrey.
My preference would be for pontophile, which is easier to say and spell, and is a word people are likely to use. In fact at least one other person has suggested it on the net. I know it’s a mix of Latin and Greek, but that has not stopped us using the word television, and if it does irritate a few classical purists so much the better. After enduring (or resisting) both Latin and Greek at school I see this as a continuation of my youthful rebellion.
As a result of a mistyped search I can also tell you that a ponyphile is not someone you would like to have in the family and that pantophiles like everything.
Anyway, if you follow this link you will see, about an inch to the left of Bridge Hardware, a three-pointed shape. This, as the shop name implies, is a bridge. Due to it’s three points it is known as Trinity Bridge. It was built to cross two streams that joined at this point. The earliest mention of it is in 716, and it was rebuilt in stone between 1360 and 1390. The figure on the bridge is believed to be either Christ with a globe or King Ethelbald with an orb (possibly removed from the West Front of the Abbey) or sometimes, more frivolously, as Cromwell with a bun.
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Interesting post! The word gephyrophile is new to me. But that’s probably because I’m a gephyrophobiac!
Both words were unknown to me until I wrote the post. Is there a certain size of bridge that triggers the fear or is it all bridges? It must make life very difficult.
This is fascinating. What a shape. And of course, it’s not bridging anything, but I’m glad it’s been preserved.
It is solidly built and will certainly last longer than me. 🙂
A wonderful bridge which would warm the heart of any sensible bridge fancier.
It really needs a duck pond, but yes, it’s good. 🙂
Oh, too funny! Cromwell with a bun. That certainly started my day with a laugh.
In that case my life has not been wasted! 🙂
Very enjoyable, Simon! Don’t apologise – I love all these Crowland posts!
Be careful what you wish for! 🙂
😀
It certainly is an unusual bridge. Where have the rivers gone?
There have been a number of drainage schemes since the early 1600s but I’m not exactly sure when they redirected the water from under the bridge.
So it was redirected – interesting.
Fascinating, Quercus. You are making good use of your time
Compared to you and Jackie I am but an idler. 🙂
🙂
🙂
A very unusual structure. Is it unique?
There were no others mentioned when I did the post but I searched more widely when you asked and there are a few more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-Bridge