Ardstraw Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Six-span rubble stone road over river humpback bridge, built c.1727. Set within Ardstraw village on a north-south axis carrying the Carnkenny Road across the Derg river continuing as the Tievenny Road.

Six semi-circular arches, of varying sizes, formed in voussoired rubble stone with cement rendered soffits and rubble stone V-cutwaters with splayed tops below parapet level. The three cutwaters to the north have shuttered concrete footings set in the river bed, while the two to the south are set in a bed of concrete with a rebuilt cutwater built in squared stone and larger than the remainder. Rubble stone spandrels with some cast-iron patress plates, rising to parapet level with rough-hewn stone coping.

Single bitmac carriageway enclosed by tall parapet wall having four modern iron street lamps attached.

Walling Rubble stone

Historical information

There has been a bridge at Ardstraw since at least the sixteenth century. A bridge is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters as part of the entry for 1514.

“A war arose between O'Donnell (Hugh, the son of Hugh Roe) and O'Neill (Art, the son of Con); and they hired many persons on both sides, and remained for a long time encamped opposite each other. It happened, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, and the advice of their chieftains, that they made a friendly peace with each other, and came to a meeting with each other on the bridge of Ardstraw; and they became gossips to each other [i.e. they agreed to become sponsors or godfathers to each other’s first-born]. And new charters were given by O'Neill to O'Donnell (together with a confirmation of the old charters) of Kinel-Moen, Inishowen, and Fermanagh. O'Donnell also delivered up, as a free gift, to O'Neill, his O'Neill's son (Niall Oge), whom he had for a long time before in his custody as a hostage for the observance of fidelity.” (www.ucc.ie/celt/published)

The maintenance of Ardstraw Bridge appears to have subsequently been a concern for the Marquis of Abercorn and in 1808 his agent wrote to him, “I am very uneasy also about Ardstraw Bridge, the want of which will be felt as a serious inconvenience to your Lordship. I was thinking that if your Lordship were to advance £100 or £150, a mason would be found to rebuild it upon the faith of the county presenting it in two years.”

The OS Memoirs mention “Ardstraw old bridge” as an “old structure of unhewn stone, with 6 arches…total length 270 feet, breadth 12 and a half feet. It is kept in repair at the expense of the county”. (p.5). “Ardstraw new bridge” is also mentioned, a much wider bridge of 1814, situated two and a half miles from the older one.

The older bridge is captioned Ardstraw Bridge on all editions of the Ordnance Survey map. It is described as part of Ireland’s civil engineering heritage by Cox and Gould, “At Ardstraw, the four main arches carry what is now another minor road over the River Derg. However in 1714 the main road to Londonderry crossed here, apparently by a ford, before proceeding to Clady Bridge. The arches are approximately 12ft span and the piers are 5ft wide. On one bank there is a wider buttressed pier followed by a further arch providing flood relief. Ardstraw Bridge has been dated to 1727.” (p.180)

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI D623/A/99/36 – Letter from James Hamilton to Marquis of Abercorn (24th September 1808)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/17/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1833)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/17/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1854)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/17/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1905)

Secondary Sources

1. Cox, RC and Gould, MH “Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland”, Thomas Telford Ltd, 1998
2. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone I, 1821, 1823, 1833-36, Vol. 5.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1990.
3. www.ucc.ie/celt/published - University College Cork Corpus of Electronic Texts

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Located in the centre of Ardstraw village, Ardstraw Bridge has all the qualities of an early packhorse bridge from the early eighteenth century, with its characteristic humpback, narrow carriageway and angular cutwaters. The late twentieth-century concrete reinforcements to the base of the cutwaters detract the material and aesthetic integrity of the structure. The bridge is recognised as being of national civil engineering importance as well as being the oldest standing structure in the village of Ardstraw and hence constitutes one of the most significant elements in the village.