Find out more about a medieval manuscript and its important role in the history of crossing the River Medway during a free talk on Tuesday, 16th January 2018.
The Bridgework List is contained within the Textus Roffensis, the only existing copy of the first code of English law, which was written in Rochester during the early 1120s. It is on display in the free Bridge Works exhibition, inside the Crypt at Rochester Cathedral.
The Rochester Bridge Trust’s Bridge Clerk Sue Threader will explain the significance of this document within the 2,000-year story of Rochester’s bridges, a story the Trust has been a part of for just 600 years.
She said: “The Rochester Bridge Trust has been maintaining crossings between Rochester and Strood since medieval times, but before that the Bridgework list recorded who was responsible for this important task.
“My talk will explain in more detail than the exhibition can manage – and in a different way – what the Bridgework list is; why it is important; and what it can tell us about how the Roman bridge looked and the organisation of Anglo Saxon and medieval society. I will also discuss how the list has influenced the history of the Trust and still affects our organisation and governance today.”
The free talk will take place on Tuesday, 16th January, in the Crypt, Rochester Cathedral. Refreshments will be offered from 6pm, with the lecture starting promptly at 6.30pm.
While the talk is free, places must be booked; contact Sue O’Reilly at sue@maxim-pr.co.uk or call her on 01892 513033.