arises whether there were two chapels of Our Lady on two Leicester bridges, known as the West and South, as some have concluded, or whether, in spite of this report, there was only the one chapel on the West Bridge, which is there called the South in error, or as an alternative name to distinguish it from its only important rival, the North Bridge of the town.
In the absence of further references to a South Bridge and chapel, it would appear more likely that the penance had to be performed on the West Bridge. Lord Hastings would not have spoken so simply of "the chapel on the Bridge at Leicester," had there been two bridge chapels in his time. Moreover in the year 1492-3 the Dean of St. Mary's Close was described as holding some ground "beside Our Lady of the Bridge." This refers, as Kelly pointed out in a written note on the record, to the chapel on the West Bridge, and the land could hardly have been so designated if there had been two chapels of Our Lady on two different bridges.
Some complaint seems to have been made in 1526 with regard to the conduct of the bridge priest at that time, but the passage in the Visitation referring to this matter is so corrupt as to be almost unintelligible.
On the outer wall of the chapel was an image of the Virgin Mary, and it was customary for the pious, when passing over the bridge, to make a small offering.
After ceasing to be used as a chapel, the little chamber over the West Bridge was turned into a small dwelling. By an Indenture bearing date the 20th day of September, 1598, the Mayor and Burgesses of Leicester conveyed to Robert Herrick of Mountsorrel, Glover, subject to a reserved rent, "one house some time called a chapel house situate and being on the south part or side of the West Bridge, on the West side or part thereof, and was late parcel of the possessions of the late College of the Blessed Virgin Mary near the Castle of Leicester." Nichols gives the following description of it, "On the southwestern side of the West Bridge is a dwelling house resting on its edge, the water passing under it through the arch nearest the town, and the brick part continuing above the water on stonework, once a chapel
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