Eden Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A dramatic semi circular single arch stone bridge over a small stream cut gorge like into the landscape.

The arch spans, approximately 7 metres, semi-circular, springing from a string course band on top of high supporting walls. The well formed voissoirs are rockfaced and rectangular and support the carriageway and parapet walls above. The bridge is built of random rubble sandstone above the string course but below large squared stones are incorporated. The intrados or soffit of the arch vault is faced with coursed roughly squared stones. The abutments are not unduly long and stop in line with the top of the gorge and squared off.

On the downstream side there has, in the past, been subsidence and partial collapse and strengthening work has been carried out in concrete necessitating additional beam and columnar support. It is carried out rather crudely and disfigures that side of the bridge.

Above the voissoirs there is a horizontal bold torus string course stretching below the parapet for the length of the bridge. The parapet on the upstream side is stonework but on the other side the collapse wall is rebuilt and rendered.

There is a slight curve to the bridge.

The bridge is sited at the end of a small valley on a sharp bend on the Glenshane Road. The road has, in the last 20 years, been realigned so that the new line by-passes the bridge. There is one habitable dwelling a little upstream from the bridge, the occupants of which have attempted some landscape planting between the bridge and the dwelling. Indeed a pathway leads from the end of the bridge to it.

Historical information

The bridge probably dates from the construction of the new route of the Glenshane Road, which was changed from the west side of the River Roe to the east side. The old route can still be followed from Carn via Corick bridge and Glenshane bridge. The route was probably changed c1840.

IHR. No. 1998

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. map 1st Edition1832 Londonderry sh. 31
2. O.S. map 1st Rev. 1856-58 Londonderry sh. 31
3. O.S Memoirs of Ireland – Parishes of Co Londonderry IV 1824, 1833-5
Ed. Angélique Day and Patrick McWilliams (Q.U.B. 1992) p. 9, 10

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A bold single semi-circular arch bridge of 7 metre span with stilted-like supports terminating a short gorge-like valley and illustrating a good example of bridge building in the mid 19th century.