Gilford Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Gilford Bridge comprises three arched masonry spans over the River Bann and a further 17 smaller flood arches along its eastern approach road.

The bridge is of random rubble blackstone construction. Good quality dressed granite embellishes the abutment and pier quoins, up and downstream angled cutwaters (which rise to arch spring level), and segmental arch voussoirs (with raised keystones). In addition, there are half-attached urn motifs set into the spandrels just above the cutwaters on both sides.

The arch soffits are of random rubble. However, there are clear breaks on their up- and downstream sides, indicating that the bridge was widened along both sides. The SE end has also been widened, the repositioned parapet being carried on a diagonally-set steel beam. The parapet is coped with granite blocks. The carriageway carries two traffic lanes and a footpath on its downstream (N) side.

On the S face of the SE approach wall to the bridge are 17 small semicircular flood arches, each of c.90cm span and all now infilled with random rubble. At the E end of this approach wall is a pair of wrought-iron gates hung from square piers, beyond which the road is carried over a shallow segmental arch over a mill race. This arch has dressed quoins and voussoirs, and a gunited soffit. The NE approach wall, which is slightly advanced from the face of the bridge, has been rebuilt in random rubble and the mill race culverted on this side, so there is now no indication of any arches. However, the original granite copings have been reutilized in the rebuilt wall.

Setting:
Gilford Bridge spans the River Bann to the south of Gilford. Multiple small flood arches along its eastern approach road with mill race beyond; car park adjacent to north; two storey public house to east with rough grassland flood plain and tree lined banks to south.

Roof: N/A
Walling: Stone
Windows: N/A
RWG: N/A

Historical information

Gilford Bridge carries the Gilford-Tandragee Road over the River Bann and comprises three arches spanning the river and 17 flood arches on the eastern approach road making a total of 20 arches.

Moll’s 1714 map shows a road crossing at this point, as does Harris’s 1743 map and Taylor & Skinner’s 1777 map. The bridge is clearly shown on the 1833 OS map. It is captioned as Gilford Br on the OS maps from 1860 onwards.

The OS Memoir of October 1834 notes that the bridge had 22 small arches. However, the February 1837 Memoir revision notes: “The bridge is … 74ft long and 26ft broad including the parapet walls. It consists of three semicircular arches, is built of whinstone, and the pier and coping of granite”.

Whereas the 1834 OS Memoir includes the flood arches in its description the 1837 OS Memoir appears to only describe the portion of the bridge that spans the river. The dimensions stated in the 1837 OS Memoir match those of the current portion of the bridge that spans the river, i.e. the current three arches in their widened form.

This implies that the bridge described in the OS Memoir of October 1834 had 5 arches over the river and 17 flood arches on the eastern approach road making 22 arches in total. By the 1837 OS Memoir the 5 arches spanning the river had been replaced by three much wider segmental spans, and then in a second phase of construction the entire structure was widened on both sides to its present form. This explains the breaks in the construction of the soffit on both sides of the current three arches. These phases of construction took place within a short space of time, just over two years. No evidence was obtained to explain why the three arches were not constructed in their widened form from the outset.

The SE end has been widened in the relatively recent past, the repositioned parapet being carried on a diagonally-set steel beam. The NE approach wall to the bridge has also been rebuilt.

References – Primary sources:

1. H. Moll, A New Map of Ireland (1714).
2. W. Harris, A New and Correct Map of ye County of Down (1743).
3. A. Taylor & G. Skinner, Maps of the Roads of Ireland, p.288 (1777).
4. PRONI OS/6/3/26/1. First edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 26 (1833).
5. OS Memoir for Tullylish Parish (1834). Reprinted as A. Day & P. McWilliams (eds), Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland:
Parishes of County Down III, 1833-8, Mid-Down, p.142 (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1992).
6. OS Memoir for Tullylish Parish (1837). Reprinted as A. Day & P. McWilliams (eds), Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland:
Parishes of County Down III, 1833-8, Mid-Down, p.145 (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1992).
7. PRONI OS/6/3/26/2. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 26 (1860).
8. PRONI OS/6/3/26/3. Third edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 26 (1903-04).
9. PRONI OS/6/3/26/4. Fourth edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 26 (1903-17).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Gilford Bridge is a mid-1830s three-arched masonry road bridge over the River Bann, with remnants of a previous multi-arched span incorporated on its eastern approach. The bridge is of random rubble blackstone embellished with dressed granite. This bridge is of interest in encompassing what is probably an early 18th century bridge (if not earlier) and clear evidence of its mid 19th century widening on both up- and downstream sides. The relative lack of embellishment is also typical of the 1700s and early 1800s. It is also a relatively scarce example where widening is so clearly evident.