"Sunday Bridge, formerly Sanvis Bridge"; and Nichols says that, in his time, it was commonly called "St. Sunday's Bridge." In modern days it has reverted to its old designation of "North Bridge."
The old North Bridge is mentioned in extant deeds of the 13th century, and occurs in the Mayor's account for 1307-8, when one of the arches was mended. It was paved with stone in 1319, and again in 1365. Leland described it as comprising "7 or 8 arches of stone"; but in later years, at any rate, there were ten. It was repaired from time to time, and stood for several centuries. Throsby, writing in 1791, said that the bridge was then "patched with repairs at various periods; the fence walls thereon are low and dangerous." The Rev. William Bickerstaffe, who died in 1789, left the following description of it. "The North Bridge, now commonly St. Sunday's Bridge, has eight wet arches, the midmost high and wide; two more on the town side, small and useless, obstructed on both sides by dyers' buildings, and made-ground. It is 98 yards one foot long, five yards two feet wide; parapet walls about a yard high, their thickness one foot two inches. One of its arches, the nearest the town, is pointed; the other nine are round. From the top of the parapet to the water is four yards three quarters; the common depth of the water 1 yard 8 inches, near the middle of the bridge, by the middle of the arch." In February, 1795, a great flood almost entirely demolished it; and, in the following year, a new stone bridge, of three arches, was erected in its place. A good illustration of this beautiful structure was given by Nichols at the beginning of the 19th century. Its life was but short, for it was pulled down and rebuilt in the years 1867 and 1868.
(2) FROGMIRE BRIDGE.
This bridge, by which the high road to the north crossed a small arm of the river, a little south of the North Bridge, was known from the 14th century as "The Little North Bridge," or "The Little Bridge."
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