HISTORY has come full circle for the people of Eastham.

In 1790, people in the village and surrounding area had to travel five miles for a safe bridge crossing at Tenbury or Stanford Bridge and so it is again 226 years later.

The difference being that back at the end of the 18th century there were three ford crossings although no one has suggested that these come back into use following the collapse of Eastham Bridge in May.

It was the local vicar, the Rev Christopher Whitehead, who was one of the leading lights in a campaign to build a bridge in 1970.

We know all of this and a lot more thanks to local historian Roger Morris who researched the bridge as part of a Millennium project.

The case for the bridge was that it enhanced the value of agricultural land but it also saved lives as there are a number of recorded drownings in the River Teme where flows can change rapidly.

A way was found to get around a legal problem that at one time looked as if an Act of Parliament would be needed to charge a toll for using the bridge.

Agreement was reached and the bridge was paid for from local subscription with shareholders paying £50 each, which at that time was a lot of money.

In return, they could use the bridge for free and shared the toll receipts with the Turnpike Trust on a 50/50 basis.

The bridge and linking roads cost £600 which amazingly is just about £35,000 today.

Stone for the piers of the bridge was transported three miles by Edward Davis from Jack Green’s quarry in Orleton.

But the bricks were a different matter and they were made by Thomas Evans, a brick-maker at the Dodderhill clay pit just 200 yards from where Eastham Bridge stands or, more accurately, stood.

Although located in Lindridge, the brickyard was known as Eastham Brickyard and continued to make bricks until the 1930s.

Lime was also produced locally and it took just two years to complete the bridge using the technology of the late 18th century. Now, more than 200 years later, the estimated time it will take to repair the bridge is two years, despite all of the advances in engineering and building techniques.

However, the original backers did not have to contend with the red tape which exists in 2016.

Eastham Bridge ceased to be a toll bridge more than 100 years ago when it passed into the hands of the County Council.

There were some repairs in the 1990s and the bridge was closed a few years ago to allow water mains to be put down but otherwise it seems to have given ‘very little trouble'.

The bridge was constructed to carry nothing more than a farm cart carrying home the harvest or transporting timber.

Until the 1930s, Roger Morris says that it is unlikely to have had to take the load of a vehicle of any more than 10 tonnes.

It seems amazing but there has never been any weight limit and, up to and on the day it collapsed, was taking lorries carrying double that.

If this is a factor in the sudden and unexpected collapse on a quiet spring afternoon in May will be one of the issues for the investigation.