Bridge SW of Donard Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A rudimentary single span stone foot bridge of 1865. The bridge is situated within Donard Park, SW of Donard Bridge (HB18/14/025A) on the slopes of the Mournes, SW of Newcastle town centre. Built of random rubble with low parapets deviod of copings. There is a date stone to the NE face with mid 20th century numerals in Art Deco style, similar to those found on Donard Bridge.

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

Historical information

When built, the bridge was in 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.

The revised OS map of 1859 shows Donard Bridge (HB18/14/025A) and two foot bridges to the south west, one of which stood on the site of this bridge of 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

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A rudimentary rubble-built single span foot bridge of 1865.