Donard Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Donard Bridge is a single span granite-built bridge of 1836 carrying a track across the Glen River. The bridge is situated within Donard Park, on the slopes of the Mournes, SW of Newcastle town centre. Formerly the park was part of the demesne surrounding Donard Lodge the Newcastle residence of the Earls Annesley.

The bridge is in granite ashlar with a single segmental arch and splayed ‘exits’ which culminate in short octagonal piers. The parapet is largely plain and has rounded coping. Each side of the arch (to both faces) are panelled square piers, and, beneath a string course, the voussoirs, sprandels and lower portion of the piers are all v-jointed. There is a panel to the centre of the outer face of each parapet with that to the NE bearing the date ‘1836’ in Art Deco style numerals (obviously mid 20th century). There is a free-standing modern metal barrier to the NW ‘exit’ to deter vehicles.

To the SW of this bridge (further up the slope) is a much cruder single span bridge of 1865 [HB18/14/025B], in random rubble. The parapets are low and are devoid of coping. There is a date stone to the NE face with numerals similar to that on Donard Bridge.

Further to the SW is another, more modern bridge, mainly constructed from concrete.

Historical information

Donard Bridge was built in 1836 possibly to designs by Newry architect Thomas J. Duff. It originally formed part of the demesne surrounding Donard Lodge, the Newcastle residence of the Annesley family, built in the early 1830s to designs by Duff and Thomas Jackson, with alterations by builder John Lynn. The townland within which the demesne lay had been bought by William Annesley from Anthony Magennis in 1747.

Donard Bridge appears to have replaced an earlier bridge, which is indicated on the OS map of 1834, just to the north of Donard Lodge itself. The revised OS map of 1859 shows the bridge as it stands today, along with two further foot bridges to the south west, one of which stood on the site of the present rubble bridge built in 1865.

Donard Lodge itself was demolished in 1966 and the demesne is now in the hands of the Forest Service.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1503/10 Annesley Papers- plans of Donard Lodge etc.
2 PRONI OS/1/3/49 OS map, first ed., Co Down 49.
3 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.

Secondary sources
1 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988).
2 J.A.K. Dean ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast 1994), p.73.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Single span granite built bridge of 1836 (‘Donard Bridge’) possibly by Thomas J. Duff. The bridge was once part of the estate surrounding Donard Lodge, itself demolished in 1966. To the south west is a much cruder rubble-built bridge of 1865.