Twin Bridges

There are two bridges close together in Church Lane, together known as Oakley Bridges. The larger of these bridges is Oakley Bridge; it was listed by the former Department of Environment in May 1952 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the bridge to the early 19th century. It is built of coursed limestone rubble and has five semi-circular arches and no cutwaters.

A single arched bridge stands a few yards south of Oakley Bridge and, consequently is known as Oakley South Bridge. It connects with Oakley Bridge via a causeway over an island. It, too, is made of coursed limestone rubble and also has a set of wooden railings; according to Angela Simco and Peter McKeague in their Bedfordshire Archaeology Monograph Number 2 of 1997 Bridges of Bedfordshire it is the last road bridge in the county to retain them. It, too, presumably, was completed in 1815. In 1923 it was recommended that this bridge, too, become a county bridge.