Iron Lattice Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This now-disused early 20th century lattice girder bridge carries a footpath over the River Lagan at the south end of Hilden Mill.
Only the abutment on the left bank was visible, that on the right being shrouded in ivy. The former is of machined red brick and coped with concrete. Apart from the deck, the bridge is of metal construction, both cast and wrought; whether it is steel or iron is less certain. The two principal girders comprise T-section top and bottom cast-metal strings between which run diagonal flat wrought-metal bars affixed with rivets. The components of each string are joined to one another with riveted plates. There are also vertical flat-bar stiffeners between the strings at regular intervals. I-section steel beams are supported across the tops of the two bottom strings and in turn support timber decking laid longitudinally; these transoms and deck may be later replacements. Many of the transoms are heavily corroded and most of the decking is missing. Two parallel flanged cast-metal beams formerly ran along the top of the deck to carry wheeled bogeys (thus preventing wear on the timber); part of one of these tracks survives.
The principal girders also act as parapets. They are braced to the oversailing ends of the transoms by diagonal L-section metal struts, the bottom ends of which are affixed to the ends of the transoms with nuts and bolts.
A cast-iron water pipe across the river is hung from the downstream ends of the transoms. A steel palisade fence has been erected across the NW end of the bridge to prevent usage.

Historical information

According to the First Survey record card, there was formerly a metal plaque affixed to this bridge reading: “Brownlie & Murray, makers, Possil Iron Works, 1896”. The plaque has since been removed.
This firm was established by James Murray and others at Possilpark, a suburb of Glasgow, in 1887. It specialised in galvanised corrugated sheds, warehouses, railway stations, wrought-iron fencing and railings, and also iron and steel buildings.
The bridge facilitated access to and from the mill for those workers living on the Co Down side of the River Lagan (specifically at Lock View, Down Villas and Lagan Terrace), along with a second footbridge over the adjoining Lagan Navigaton, long since gone. Both bridges are first shown on the 1901-02 OS 25-inch maps.

References – Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/10/1/64/14/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 64-14 (1901).
2. PRONI OS/10/3/8/16/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 16-01 (1902).

References – Secondary sources:
1. EHS First Survey record card dated 27 Jan 1970.
2. Scottish Archive Network, .

References – Secondary sources:
1. EHS First Survey record card dated 27 Jan 1970.
2. Scottish Archive Network, .

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This now-disused cast- and wrought-metal footbridge was formerly associated with Barbours’ Hilden Mill complex (HB19/17/13), facilitating access thereto for workers living on the Co Down side of the river. It was manufactured in 1896 at Brownlie & Murray's Possil Iron Works (Glasgow).
It is a good example of a metal lattice girder bridge, albeit now derelict, and has group value with the mill complex. It is of local historical interest as the sole physical reminder of the mill-related houses which once stood hereabouts on the Co Down side of the river. It is also rare as the sole example of this type of bridge now surviving on the River Lagan and may well also be one of the few surviving Irish examples of Brownlie & Murray's work.

General comments

Criteria R-Age, S- Authenticity, T- Historic Importance & U - Historic Associations also apply.