Arney Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A late 17th Century narrow three span, stone bridge carrying the Mullanavehy Road over the River Arney approximately six kilometres South of Enniskillen.

The bridge has a slightly humped deck and is slightly curved on plan. Three segmental arches formed in roughly dressed voussoirs with rubble stone soffit rise from v-shaped cutwaters with roughly dressed leading edges, four of which rise to form triangular refuges, two on each side. Two further v-shaped cutwaters (partially concealed by vegetation) are present on the east face where the bridge abuts the river bank. These do not extend to form refuge areas but have chamfered tops sloping away from the parapet wall. Spandrels and parapets are of roughly coursed rubble stone with concrete blockwork repairs. Parapets have large roughly dressed flat sandstone copings. The approach walls extend some distance to the north and south; those to south finish in circular terminals with flat topped circular copings; those to north have been removed.

Stone corbels, probably used to support centring during construction of the arches, project at impost level (five equally spaced corbels at each side).

Steel channels have been affixed to the exterior faces of each arch and connected with steel rods. These were presumably added in the late twentieth century to strengthen the bridge and are in place of the more normal patress plates.

Concrete aprons have also been added in the river but the bridge soffits have not beent 'Gunnited'(spray concrete).

On the west face, a pipe has been installed at arch crown level that passes through the partially rebuilt refuges.

Setting

The bridge is located in a rural
setting surrounded by small fields and hedgerows. There is a ramp from road level down to the river on the west side of the bride on both banks. The river bank to the east has been strengthened with concrete armouring on the north side and timber piles on the south. Rendered two-storey slate roofed dwelling with single storey corrugated metal roofed out-building to north-west; rendered storey and a half slate roofed dwelling to south-east; corrugated metal roofed single storey building with corrugated metal shed to south-west.

Walling: Sandstone/concrete blockwork

Historical information

A barony map dated 1657 shows a bridge at this location which at that time was the only bridge on the whole of the Arney River. This may be the current bridge; however, in style it appears to date from the late 17th century and therefore the bridge indicated on the barony map may have been an earlier structure.

The road from Derrylin to Enniskillen that passes over Arney Bridge was selected for reconstruction as the main coach road in the mid 18th Century. This was due to its good clay sub-soil base.

The bridge is shown on the 1st Edition OS map of 1835 where it is captioned 'Arney Bridge'. Brick fields are also indicated on the south bank to the east and west of the bridge.

A local resident recalls that the bridge was hit twice by army vehicles in the 1950’s and again in the 1970’s and repaired with concrete blocks and poured concrete to the copings.

It has been claimed by some sources that the site of the bridge may also be that of a ford that was the site of ‘The battle of the ford of the biscuits’ between the Ulster chieftains and the English army in 1594, which was the start of the Nine Year war culminating in the Battle of Kinsale and the Flight of the Earls. This, however, is disputed with some sources claiming that the battle occurred further along the river.

References:

Primary Sources

1. Barony map dated 1657
2. First Edition OS Map 1835

Secondary Sources
1. Local resident
2. MacCionnaith, Seamus "Beal Atha na mBriosgadh. Srath Fer Lurg Loch lamrugan" Clogher Record Vol. 1, No. 3 (1955),
pp. 111-117, Clogher Historical Society

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

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Arney Bridge is a late 17th Century narrow three span stone bridge carrying the Mullanavehy Road over the River Arney approximately six kilometres South of Enniskillen. The bridge has a slightly humped deck and is slightly curved on plan. Of note are the projecting stones at arch spring level which are vestiges of the bridge construction and also the angled cutwaters that extend up to parapet level to create pedestrian refuges - a rare feature in Ulster. Its curved plan form is also of interest. Although the bridge has suffered from substantial rebuilding of the parapet in concrete which has resulted in some loss of character, it is a robust and rare example of late 17th Century engineering work, demonstrating simplicity in construction and detail. Historically, it represents the development of the road network in the county.

General comments

This record originated from a listing query ref HB12LQ113