Railway bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Bridge (formely over a railway line) to the W of Holmlea Farm, c.2 miles S of Newtownards. The bridge carries a narrow curving country lane and ascends westwards into a bank. It has splayed ends with end piers. The bridge is built of rock-faced sandstone with an elliptical arch with slightly battered abutments to each side of arch. Above the arch is a slightly projecting course with coping to the parapet. The N side is still largely visible but the ground level has been raised somewhat (and the railway cutting filled in). The S side of the bridge now has a large modern farm gabled outbuilding built against it and the arch has been filled in with the area to the E side of the arch faced in cement render.

The lane itself is covered in tarmac.

Historical information

This bridge was constructed as part of the railway line (Belfast & Co. Down Railway) linking Belfast, Comber and Newtownards, which opened in May 1850. The line was abandoned in 1953.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1859-60, Co. Down 10.

Secondary sources
1 E.M. Patterson 'The Belfast & County Down railway' (Lingfield: Oakwood Press 1958).
2 E.R.R. Green 'The industrial archaeology of Co. Down' (HMSO 1963), p.62.
3 W.A. McCutcheon 'The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland' (HMSO 1980), pp.174-177.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Note that this bridge is on private land. Sandstone road bridge over the site of former railway line. A large farm outbuilding has been built against the south side of the bridge and the ground level on both sides has been raised with former railway cutting now filled.