Road Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single-arch masonry bridge, built c.1853 to designs by Benjamin Ferrey to carry the two lanes of traffic and a footpath of Bridge Road over Clandeboye Avenue.
The abutments are of quarried rubble blackstone brought to courses. The arch is of two-centred profile with an ornate moulded sandstone voussoir. Around the extrados of the latter is a course of square sandstone blocks. The arch soffit is of ribbed ashlar sandstone. Surmounting the crown on both faces is a square sandstone plaque bearing the date 1853 in bass relief. The spandrels are of rubble blackstone with a narrow moulded sandstone string course over. The parapets are detailed as the spandrels and are coped with dressed sandstone blocks, the top faces of which slant down towards their road face. They end in canted terminal piers over geometric corbels rising from arch spring level. Both the piers and corbels are of ashlar sandstone. The parapet string course delineates the base of each terminal pier. The wing walls are of random rubble blackstone

Setting

Located in Helen's Bay to the north of the railway station (HB23/15/039A) and carrying the Bridge Road over Clandeboye Avenue.

Walling: Sandstone/blackstone

Historical information

An avenue between Helen's Bay and Clandeboye House was designed by the landscape architect James Fraser in the early 1850s. This bridge which crosses it bears the date 1853. It may be the work of Benjamin Ferrey as it shares a number of design features which are also found on the nearby railway bridge beside the station, built some 10 years later (HB23/15/039D).

Sources - Primary
references:
1. 1853 datestone on bridge parapet.

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

Z. Rarity
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A single-arch masonry bridge, built c.1853 to designs by Benjamin Ferrey to carry Bridge Road over Clandeboye Avenue. Although modest in scale, its distinctive style, careful execution and high quality sandstone detailing, mark it out as a good and rare example of its type. The ribbed ashlar stonework is of particular technical merit. The bridge greatly enhances the Clandeboye Avenue and it has group value and shares a number of design features with the nearby railway bridge (HB23/15/039D), built some 10 years later by the same architect. It also has group value with the adjoining coach yard (HB23/15/039E) and related railway structures in the vicinity . It is of interest for being designed by a prominent architect and for its association with the 1st Marquis and Clandeboye estate.

General comments

Included in Helen's Bay Area of Village Character

This was formerly record HB23/15/038