Bridge,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a double-arch rubble stone humpback road bridge over the Ballinderry River, built c.1760. It has rock-faced random rubble stonewalls with irregular stone capping. The arch is semi-circular headed with cut-stone dressings. There is a stepped and curved cutwater on the upstream side. The road is approximately 6 metres in width. There are cut stone steps leading down from the road level to the riverbank at the Northeast corner of the bridge. It is set to the North of Wellbrook Mill (HB09/04/003) on the West side of Cookstown.

Historical information

A bridge shown on OS map of 1833-34 and all others thereafter. The original date of construction is uncertain, however, the hump-back and relatively small semicircular arches suggest the structure is pre 1830s. It is possible that the bridge may date from the later 1760s, for Hugh Faulkner of Wellbrook succeeded in getting the County Grand Jury to fund an upgrade of the road from Oritor to his property (situated less than half a kilometre to the north-east of this site) in 1766. He may have brought about the upgrading of this road around the same time, or shortly afterwards. A plan of the Wellbrook bleachgreen dated 1766, surveedr for Hugh Faulkner, (see PRONI T/1617/5/1), seems to indicate a bridge in this location, possibily this structure

References
1 PRONI MIC/21, T/1617 Faulkner Papers, 1699-1839
2 PRONI OS/6/6/29/1 OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, 1833-34
3 PRONI OS/6/6/29/2 OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, 1857
4 PRONI OS/6/6/29/3 OS map, Co Tyrone sheet 29, 1906

Secondary sources
1 Monahan, Amy, “An eighteenth century family linen business: the Faulkners of Wellbrook, Cookstown”, in ‘Ulster Folklife’ vol.9 (1963)
2 McCutcheon, W.A., 'The industrial archaeology of Northern Ireland' (Belfast, HMSO, 1980
3 O’Keefe, Peter and Simington, Tom, ‘Irish stone bridges…’ (Irish Academic Press, 1991) [for reference]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
F. Structural System
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a well composed hump backed bridge that has survived in its original condition. The stepped high cutwater gives a unique appearance.

The hump back design, small semi-circular arches and narrow width, indicates its early origins. This is an increasingly rare example of the type.

It shares a group value with the adjoining mill complex HB09/04/003.