Railway Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four-span Victorian railway bridge, built c.1850, located to the south of Belfast Road. The bridge is constructed of squared and snecked rock faced blackstone, with rusticated granite quoins and coping, banded string course at carriageway level, and voussoirs to segmental headed archways. Arch soffits are brick, with banded string course to base.

The three arches to the west carry the railway over the water. Each arch springs from a blackstone pier with V-shaped granite cutwaters with off-set weathering. The archway to the east has a smaller span, springing from a higher level than those over the water, and carries the railway over Dunadry Road. This archway is flanked by projecting stone piers.

The eastern archway is abutted to the north and south by coursed rubble walling to the west, with stone coping. To the south-east, it is abutted by random rubble walling, to the north-east by brick walling.

Six Mile Water and Dunadry Road,

Roof covering N/A
Walling Blackstone
Windows N/A
Rainwater goods N/A

Historical information

The bridge appears on the 2nd edition OS map of the area, dated 1857. According to McCutcheon, the bridge was built during the construction of the Belfast-Ballymena railway line in 1845-8 (p.120). The railway played an important role in the development of industry and agriculture, along with encouraging tourism within Northern Ireland. By 1860, the Belfast-Ballymena Railway had become the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/50/2, 2nd edition OS Map, Co Antrim, sheet no 50, 1857.

Secondary Sources

1. McCutcheon, W.A. The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, DOE 1984

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
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This is a substantial four-span bridge which carries the railway over Six Mile Water and Dunadry Road, on the Templepatrick to Antrim line. Built in the mid nineteenth century, the bridge was constructed during the time of expansion of the railway throughout Northern Ireland. Still used, the bridge is in excellent condition and ornate granite detailing is intact. The arch soffits display brick construction of some engineering merit. Its configuration to accommodate road, railwayand river is very unusual.