Railway Viaduct

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This twin-arch masonry viaduct carries one track of the Belfast-Larne railway over the Three Mile Water (here known as Valentine's Glen).

Its abutments, pier, spandrels and parapets are of quarry-dressed squared random rubble. The arches are of semicircular profile and of equal size. The river flows through the north arch and a footpath now runs through the south one. They have rusticated vee-jointed sandstone voussoirs, many of which have been replaced with engineering brick; the soffits are also of brick (probably original). Curved random rubble wing walls project on each side and the river bank and are also faced with squared random rubble.

The bridge is embellished with tooled quoins to the abutments and pier, rusticated sandstone string courses through the arches at spring level and across the base of the parapets, and sandstone coping blocks to the parapets and wing walls. A modern galvanised steel railing has been added across the top of the bridge.

Near the foot of each arch are three cast-metal braces set parallel with one another, each of which comprises four sections bolted together. They counteract the thrusts imposed on the footings by the relatively high embankments to each side. They are set into the stonework with cement-rich mortar which suggests that they were either rebedded or are later additions.

Setting

Located in what is now a public park and spanning the river valley among mature planting and naturalised vegetation.

Historical information

This section of the railway, between Belfast (York Street) and Greenisland was opened by the Belfast & Ballymena Railway Company in 1848. It originally served both the Belfast-Ballymena and Belfast-Carrickfergus lines (extended to Londonderry and Larne in 1852 and 1862 respectively). The former's relatively indirect route via this bridge was necessitated by the enormous expense of crossing the Three Mile Water by a more direct route further west. The bridge was designed by Charles Lanyon, the B&BR's Consulting Engineer, and built by William Dargan.

With the opening of the Greenisland Loop in 1934 by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee), all Derry-bound traffic ran directly via Monkstown rather than Greenisland. A viaduct (HB21/10/001B) just west of this one was also erected in 1934 to carry the 'down' traffic from Belfast to Larne over Valentine's Glen. Thereafter, this particular bridge was confined to carrying the 'up' traffic from Larne to Belfast, a function which it still serves. The line continues over the Glenville Road, to the south, on a concrete bridge (HN21/10/001E).

References - Secondary sources:

1. Hamond, F.W. 'Railway Bridge near Bleach Green Junction, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim' (NIEA Listed Building record HB21/10/002, December 1994).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This high and well-proportioned railway viaduct forms a dramatic feature of the Three Mile Valley. Its basalt stonework is of high quality and enlivened by sandstone embellishments. It is of local historical interest in being not only on the Belfast-Carrickfergus line (as one would expect), but originally also on the Belfast-Ballymena line, this being the most economical crossing point at that time. It also has group interest and forms an illuminating contrast with the reinforced-concrete viaducts to its west (HB21/10/001A and HB21/10/001B). The structural cast metal braces at the base of each arch are rarely found in bridges and add further interest.