ULAS
University of Leicester Archaeological Services

Annual Report 2001

Sawgate Bridge Rediscovered - Burton Lazars, Leicestershire

ULAS was commissioned by the Environment Agency to supervise the groundworks during the excavation of silt traps on Burton Brook and the river Eye, south of Melton Mowbray, and east of Burton Lazars.

The site lies on Burton Brook, half a mile east of Burton Lazars where Europe’s largest leper colony and hospital stood for over 400 years. The leper hospital was founded by Roger de Mowbray after he inherited the land from his father Nigel d’Aubigny in 1138. This was documented in a charter dated to 1154-1162 which records that Roger donated a hospital and a mill (presumably Man Mill at the nearby village of Brentingby).

The brethren of the hospital soon became large landowners, as a result of numerous donations. Their management interest in the estate resulted in the creation of a large open-field system by the 12th century, incorporating 2,800 acres of farming land.
Excavations were carried out within this planned medieval landscape, at the site of a new silt trap, being constructed as part of a flood alleviation scheme. These unearthed the remains of a medieval stone bridge which was not only contemporary with the Leper hospital, but is even mentioned by name as ‘Salgate Brygge’ in 14th-century land surveys.

The Saltgate bridge got its name from the Roman ‘Sawgate’ road on which it sat. This was one of the main routes from the east coast via which salt was traded into the interior of Britain. The road is thought to diverge from the Fosse Way at Syston to follow the ridge north-east to near Frisby-on-the-Wreake. Here it appears to turn east past Eye Kettleby, through Burton Lazars, crossing Burton Brook and on to Cord Hill and Thistleton.

The Bridge

The excavation of the bridge showed that it had been built in several distinct phases. The first involved the laying of large cobbles in the base of the brook, which for several years may have sufficed as a ford crossing. At a later date a more substantial bridge was built of limestone. Evidence of this first stone construction was found only on the west bank of the brook, and consisted of a large D-shaped abutment terraced into the bank of the brook. It is presumed that a wooden superstructure (which has since been lost) may have sat atop this structure and spanned the brook to a similar structure on the east bank. No evidence of a corresponding abutment was found during excavation, but it remains possible that this may lay just outside of the area of investigation or its stone may simply have been reused in the construction of later phases of the bridge.

Following several years of flooding a third phase of construction was added, in the form of a well-hewn sandstone parapet, the squared blocks of which still bore clear tooling marks. Later the banks of the brook, just down-stream of the bridge, were consolidated with a broad layer of pebbles.

Although there is no direct evidence that Saltgate Bridge was built by or for the farming brethren of Burton Lazars hospital, it is clear that it was standing during the hospitals heyday and would certainly have been an important crossing point, and instrumental in the day to day management of the planned farming landscape that the brethren had established.

Thanks are due to the Environment Agency for their help and co-operation with this project.