Lostwithiel Bridge, of which the people of the town are justly proud, is one of the oldest in Cornwall. There are very few records and, in particular, there are none regarding the date of its construction although many historians give the construction period to the 1200’s.

It is recorded that in 1314 the Bishop of Exeter, Walter de Stapleton, on the Feast of St. Leonard, summoned the Prior of Bodmin to Lostwithiel Bridge where the Bishop gave out punishment to the Prior in respect of an affray which had taken place in Bodmin Priory Church two years previously. From the Black Prince’s records of 1357, instructions were given for the bridge to be repaired and in the reign of Henry IV, 1399-1413, some trust or common lands were given to the town of Lostwithiel by an opulent wool merchant named Walter Wooley. He stipulated that these town lands as they were called, should be let out or leased and the revenue from these used to maintain the old bridge and the Church of St. Bartholomew.

In 1533 John Leland was commissioned by Henry VIII to do a survey of the Kingdom and at Lostwithiel, he described the bridge as a very ancient structure, a bridge of five arches of stone and supplemented on the eastern end by a wooden bridge, which we learn that in Tudor times was replaced by stone arches of varying size.

During the course of time, the river has changed its course, with traces of masonry, believed to be part of the old bridge uncovered in North Street, and on Bridgend side, of which there are no records. These remains could also have been parts of smaller bridges crossing streams flanking each side of the river before entering the main water course.

The general opinion from past research, is that the five arches at the western side (town side) are original and compare with the architecture of the Old Duchy Palace and Shire Hall, the Church and Restormel Castle, c. 1200’s.

The eastern end is of a much later period which would, no doubt, have been the section built in Tudor times to replace the old wooden bridge, referred to by Leland in 1533.

On the southern parapet of the bridge (town side), there is an oblong stone with signs of inscriptions on it, which can no longer be defined. However the date on this stone is 1676, of which apparently there is a record of alterations or repairs being carried out at that time.

There are no records in the County Records Office regarding the bridge as it stands, apart from the eastern end of the structure but one can safely say that the western arches are original and would classify as 13th Century.

It is interesting to note that, before the bypass of the town and the building of the new bridge on the A390 which took place during the 1930’s, all traffic passing through Lostwithiel had to cross the river by this eleven foot wide bridge.