The Bridge Inn

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey rendered public house consisting of a main block with lower building to right on East side of Abbey Way now Upper Water Street.

Roof is pitched with artificial slates to main block and flat roof to lower block to right. Two cement rendered and copped chimneys to main block - one to each gable. Rain water goods are plastic (semicircular) with a cast metal downpipe with decorative hopper to left of main block and cast metal downpipe to right of lower block.

Walls are smooth cement render. Ground floor, the main block has a shopfront with pair of central doors flanked by single windows. Door is four panelled, bottom two smaller and raised and fielded, top two are multi-colour glazed with rectangular panes of coloured glass. The shop windows each have seven vertical panes, (these too are multi-colour glazed) set within a pair of plain timber pilasters. Pilasters support a raised render fascia which runs the full length of main block. To right of shopfront and below fascia is a six panelled (stop end chamfered) timber door leading to upper floors. First floor has two pairs of 2/2 horizontally divided sliding sashes with exposed boxes, horns and painted cills. The pair on the left have lost their top glazing bars and are now both 1/ 2; the top pane of right window has been infilled with timber and an extractor fan. There are similar windows (diminished in height) to second floor, in line with openings below.

Addition to right is two storeys high and has a flat roof. Its walls are as main block and it has a shopfront to ground floor. Shop consists of a modern door to right and two shop windows to left (main one boarded up). Left window is narrow and is partially infilled with a timber panel, right window is boarded up. There is no fascia to shop. At first floor is a pair of 2/2 sliding sash windows (as those to first floor of main block). The right façade wall continues as a yard wall and contains a gateway into rear yard; with large pair of t+g sheeted doors to Street. Rear elevation is much altered and has a large return to rear right. It is all of no interest.

Historical information

Three buildings are shown in this block on the 1835 OS map. The third was over and to the south of the present vehicle entrance. In the 1838 valuation the existing three-storey building was the most valuable, at £25 (as against £15 and £10 for the others). This house was also three storeys high in 1863, but the height of the adjoining house is unclear. Modifications to it, and the clearance of the third home are comparatively recent. “The Bridge” bar has been a licensed house since the later 1800s.

Primary Sources:

1. OS map 1835 edition, PRONI- OS 9/15/1/1 (1835 map);
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/389, p.110 (1838 valuation);
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 2B/3/69G, p.41 (1863 valuation);
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/16A, p.36.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three storey rendered public house. Early building with long history as public house, but otherwise not of special architectural or historic merit.

General comments

This building originally had the address 53 Abbey Way. Following various realignments etc in the area, the street name was changed to Upper Water Street, hence the change of address.