Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
Blackwater Bridge,
Ballykeel, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Record only (not listed)
- Grade
- Record Only
- Type
- Bridge
- Date of construction
- 1820 - 1839
- Address
- Blackwater Bridge,, Ballykeigle Road,, Ballykeel,, Comber,, Co. Down, BT23 5SD
- Townland
- Ballykeel
- Council
- Ards and North Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.50598, -5.75111
- Date of survey
- 20 January 1999
- HB reference
- HB24/16/044
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1794 "Sheet 55. (Cary's England, Wales, and Scotland)." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
Road bridge, carrying the Ballykeigle Road over the River Blackwater, c.2 miles W of Ballygowan.
The bridge is slightly hump-backed and follows a slight twist in the road. It is rubble-built with a single elliptical arch. The E side has a pipe attached above the arch with barbed wire and spikes attached to the pipe to deter ‘climbers’. Ties have been inserted into the bridge.
The parapets have rough rubble coping. The parapet to the W appears to have been partly rebuilt in recent times. This parapet has a large crack running along it.
Historical information
A bridge is shown on this site on the 1834 and 1858 OS maps and marked ‘Blackwater Bridge’ on the latter. The present bridge may date from the early to mid 19th century.
Primary sources
1 PRONI OS map 1st ed. 1834, Down 16.
2 PRONI OS map 1st rev. 1858-60, Down 16.
3 EHS HB24/16/33 1st survey notes and slide.
4 EHS OS map 167-6 (1:2500) 1973.
Secondary sources
1 W.A. McCutcheon ‘The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland’ (HMSO 1980), pp.15-16.
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
Not listed
Criteria for listing: historic interest
Not listed
Evaluation
Rubble-built road bridge possibly dating from the early to mid 19th century. Ties have been inserted recently.
Nearby in the register
- 45 Tullynagee Road,Houseunder 1 mi
- Wallace’s Bridge,Demolishedunder 1 mi
- Drumreagh Bridge,Bridge1 mi
- 95 Moss Road,Demolished1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.