Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A three-span masonry arch bridge, possibly mid 18th century, carrying the Hospital Road high over Purdy’s Burn, a tributary to the River Lagan. The central arch spans the burn; the arch to the north is a pedestrian under pass; to the south a coach underpass.

Located adjacent to the junction between Milltown Road and Hospital Road. Constructed with rubble stone throughout. Half-circle piers flanking the central arch rising from the masonry embankments; no cutwaters; squared buttresses to the east, of the north approach. Round-headed profiles with rubble voussoirs to all three arches; the central span is the tallest and widest; the coach arch slightly diminished in scale; the pedestrian by far the smallest; remains of iron brackets/hinges embedded into the walling. 6-putlog holes to the main span at arch spring level. Rubble soffits; no clear indication of widening. Rubble spandrels; modern discharge pipes located over the central arch. Rubble parapets; replacement coping set in cement mortar to the east; rounded cement replacement coping to the west. The carriageway comprises two lanes of traffic and a single narrow footpath to the west side.

Historical information

The bridge at Purdysburn is shown on Skinner and Taylor’s 1777 map of the main routes from Dublin to Donaghadee. The bridge carried the road across ’Purdy’s Burn’ and across the estate also named ‘Purdisburn’, then the property of Hill Wilson Esq. No primary evidence as to its construction date could be found, but the Purdysburn estate was settled in the early years of the eighteenth century, and in 1765 Irish Grand Juries acquired powers to make presentments for the building of bridges. The road carried by the bridge was on a major route between Dublin and Donaghadee, a significant port between 1662 and 1837. (Skinner and Taylor; Proudfoot; Cox and Gould)

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/9/1 First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/9/2 Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/9/3 Third Edition OS Map 1901-2
4. PRONI OS/6/3/9/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-21
5. PRONI OS/6/3/9/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1920-31
6. PRONI OS/6/3/9/7 Seventh Edition OS Map 1938
7. Skinner and Taylor Map of Ireland, 1777

Secondary Sources
1. Cox, R and Gould, M “Ireland’s Bridges” Dublin: Wolfhound Press, 2003
2. Proudfoot L (ed) ‘Down, History and Society’ Dublin: Geography Publications (1997)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A three-span masonry arch bridge, possibly mid 18th century, carrying the Hospital Road high over Purdy’s Burn, a tributary to the River Lagan with separate pedestrian and coach underpass. The construction method and distinct early appearance of the bridge, backed with evidence on the 1777 map showing a crossing off the burn at this point, making it possibly that this is the existing bridge from that time. The proportions and styling remain intact, although some modern repairs to the coping and pointing detract slightly from the appearance of the bridge. Not withstanding this, the bridge remains a good and relatively rare example of its kind and is of local interest to the area it serves.