Bloody Bridge (new)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This single semicircular span carries the Newcastle – Kilkeel road over the Bloody Bridge River a short distance downstream of an older bridge of the same name (HB 16/01/001).

The bridge is of granite and Silurian rubble masonry construction with roughly-dressed granite voussoirs and quoins, and regularly coursed abutments resting directly on bedrock. The parapets are also of random rubble coped with large granite blocks. For its span, this bridge is relatively wide between its up and downstream faces. Soffit markings suggest that the arch was built in three successive stages (but without a break in time).

The road is carried high over the upstream half of the bridge, and a footpath passes directly over the crown on the down side. The left bank is faced with concrete immediately upstream of the bridge. Both faces of the bridge are heavily overgrown.

Historical information

This bridge and its associated line of road are shown on the 1859 OS 6” map, but not on the first edition of 1834. It is therefore of mid 19th century date. It superseded an older bridge just upstream.

Primary Sources:
1.PRONI-OS 6/3/49/1 (1834 OS map)
2. PRONI-OS 6/3/49/2 (1859 OS map)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Although this bridge makes an impressive landscape feature, particularly when viewed from downstream, its primary interest lies in its proximity to the nearby older bridge, with which it makes, by virtue of its later date, an interesting contrast in scale and execution. It thus illustrates the evolution of bridge construction techniques.