New Bridge,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a four-arch squared sandstone humpbacked road bridge over the Ballinderry River, built c.1825. It has squared and snecked rubble sandstone walls with cut-stone coping. The arches are round-headed with cut-stone voussoirs. The central arch is larger than the flanking arches.

There is a central keystone to the central arch and a cut stone date stone over, with a projecting oval centre. The datestone is inscribed ‘ERECTED BY WILLIAM STEWART ESQ. M.P. AD 1825’. The stone to the east side is much eroded.

To the west side of the bridge, there are two small curved cut-waters located between the arches. The road bridge is approximately 6 metres in width. To the north side there is one further small overflow archway (now much overgrown); this may have been incorporated to relieve high flood waters.

Historical information

A bridge is shown on this site on the OS map of 1833-34, marked ‘New Bridge’. An inscription above the above the crown of the arch (on both sides) states that the bridge was ‘Erected by William Stewart Esq. M.P. [of Killymoon] A.D. 1825 [or 1828].

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/6/39/1 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 39, 1833-34
2 PRONI OS/6/6/39/2 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 39, 1857
3 PRONI OS/6/6/39/3 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 39, c.1905
4 PRONI OS/6/6/39/5 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 39, 1938

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

This is a substantial and prominently sited bridge that carries the Lower Grange Road over the Ballinderry River. Its humpback betrays it early date of construction. Although set on a minor country road it, nevertheless, carries much local traffic.

The squared rubble construction added an informal quality that is entirely consistent with the well preserved.rural setting.