A Roman town called Isurium Brigantes (built to keep the Celtic Brigante tribe in order) was here from AD100. When the Romans left the town around AD460 the site was named Burgh; an Anglo-Saxon fort.
Then The Normans arrived in AD1066 they built a new bridge a mile down the road (AD1085) and called the town Burgh Bridge; it was the 44th Norman new town in England. The older Burgh became Aldborough, now a pretty little village.
Boroughbridge became the central hub on the Great North Road which ran from London to Edinburgh (sometimes known as Dere Street). Edward II bequeathed Market Town status and in its heyday Boroughbridge was dealing with 2000 cattle passing through from Scotland heading south every day. The river was also handling cargo such as spices, lead, animals and cloth. Boroughbridge at one time had 22 coaching inns, The Crown Inn had stabling for 100 horses.
The railways arrived mid 1800 and by 1853 inns were starting to close. As did the railway line in the 1960s. Today there are still 5 large hotels and the town caters for the local agricultural workers and tourists.
The A1 motorway bypassed the town in 1963 and for the first time in 800 years goods and people no longer used the hub. Happily, The Georgian architecture from those glory days still remains.
Paul A. McKendrick UK 