Keble's Bridge, Eastleach

Keble's Bridge crosses the River Leach between the two halves of Eastleach, Turville on the west bank and Martin on the east, in the quiet country north of Lechlade covered by our Coln valley guide. It is a clapper bridge of flat limestone slabs laid on rubble piers, of medieval origin, and it is listed Grade II.

History

Keble's Bridge was the footbridge that joined the two villages, each with its own church, close together on either side of the river. Historic England's listing, made in 1952, gives it medieval origins and calls it an early pedestrian bridge linking both halves of the village.

The Keble name

The listing says the bridge is named after the Keble family, of local importance since the sixteenth century, and the family's ledger slabs lie in the chancel of St Andrew's on the Turville side. Local tradition links it in particular with John Keble, the poet and Tractarian leader, who served the Eastleaches as curate from 1815 to 1825, by the Victoria County History's account; his father, also John, was vicar of Coln St Aldwyns a few miles west. The listing itself does not mention him.

What to look for

The bridge is five bays long: flat slabs of limestone laid from pier to pier, on piers of limestone rubble, with short abutments running out from each bank. One pier has a set of concrete-topped steps going down into the water. Look across from the bridge to see both churches: St Michael and St Martin on the east bank and St Andrew's on the west. Near St Michael and St Martin, a two-arched road bridge of the early nineteenth century carries the lane across the river.

Visiting

Keble's Bridge is on a public footpath, free and open at all times. It is low and narrow, so take care with small children and dogs, and the slabs can be slippery when wet. Walkers on AllTrails reported wet, muddy paths round the villages in March 2025 and February 2026. In spring, the Churches Conservation Trust notes daffodils along the banks and the approaches to the bridge.

Getting there

There is no car park in Eastleach; walkers on AllTrails report plenty of free roadside parking in the village (in 2024 and again in August 2026), and the Churches Conservation Trust gives roadside parking only. Public footpath KEA37 crosses the bridge from the lane in Eastleach Turville.

On foot, Eastleach and the River Leach, a 4.4-mile (7.1km) circular walk from Eastleach Turville, crosses the bridge near the start, goes up the quiet Leach valley to the Roman Akeman Street and ends at the Victoria Inn.

Nearby

St Michael and St Martin, now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust, is a few steps from the east end of the bridge, and St Andrew's is a short walk away on the west side. A few miles west are Coln St Aldwyns and the River Coln, and south the Leach runs on to join the Thames at Lechlade. Our guide to the Coln valley covers the villages.