Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/12/002

Address :
Moore's Bridge Hillsborough Road Lisburn Co Antrim

Townland:
Blaris / Old Warren

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
03/10/1981 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Bridge

Former Use
Bridge

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
165/10

IG Ref:
J2624 6290

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

A triple-span masonry arch bridge carries the main Lisburn-Hillsborough road over the River Lagan. The abutments and piers are of roughly-dressed basalt blocks laid to regular courses. The arches are of equal size and of three-centred (‘semi-elliptical’) profile. Their voussoirs are of vee-jointed cut sandstone. The soffits have been gunited. The right-bank (SW) arch is dry in normal circumstances. The remaining two arches span the river and the left-bank (NE) arch also spans the former Lagan Navigation towpath (now a public footpath). There are semicircular cutwaters to the piers on both up- and downstream faces, being a continuation of the piers and of identical construction. The cutwaters rise to just above arch spring level and originally had projecting sandstone caps. Excepting one of the piers on the downstream face, these caps have weathered and been replaced with brick. The spandrels are of ashlar Triassic sandstone, delineated at each end by a shallow basalt pilaster which extends up to the projecting parapet terminal piers. A sandstone string course runs across each face, just above arch crown level. The parapets are of quarried random rubble with rounded dressed sandstone copings and terminate in projecting basalt piers capped with sandstone. The carriageway carries two lines of traffic and two footpaths. Just beyond the end of the downstream parapet, at its left-bank end, a flight of concrete steps leads down to the public footpath along the river. A galvanised metal hand rail runs along the top of a random rubble wall down the side of the staircase. The footpath through the left-bank arch also has a galvanised metal handrail along its river side. On the road side of the downstream parapet, directly above the crown of the middle arch, is a cast-iron post carrying the legend “Lisburn Town Council”. The post is of circular cross-section with an octagonal cap. It also marks the county boundary between Antrim and Down.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The 1837 Ordnance Survey Memoir for Blaris Parish notes that this bridge “is said to have been finished in 1825 at an expense of £3200, paid equally by the counties of Down and Antrim.” However, the Grand Jury Presentment book for the summer of 1824 notes its completion in that year as apart of a new mailcoach road between Lisburn and Hillsborough. The bridge is cited on the 1833 OS six-inch map as ‘Hertford Bridge’, refering to the Marquis of Hertford, the principal landowner in this area. The 1837 OSM describes the bridge as follows: “That bridge across the Lagan … between Lisburn and Blaris toll gate, and locally called the new bridge, has three arches; span of middle arch 35ft and the others each 32ft, breadth of the road on the bridge 42ft including the footpath, average height of parapets 3ft, thickness of paraets 1ft 6in. These parapets are 150 paces in length each and are topped with red freestone. The entire of the work is in good repair and well executed. The arches and breast are cut stone of the above colour. Between the two extremes of the bridge, or rather of the arches, is 110ft in length. The principal part of the parapets are built of blackish stone quarried within about a quarter of a mile of the bridge." Despite its 1820s date, the bridge is captioned as New Bridge on the 1857, 1900 and 1920 OS maps. It is not until the 1939 edition that it is cited as Moore's Bridge. Along with Ballyskeagh Bridge, this is the only road bridge to cross the towpath of the Lagan Navigation between Belfast and Sprucefield. The navigation was already in existence before the bridge was erected. Unlike Ballyskeagh Bridge, the towpath and navigable channel shared the same arch so there was no need to unhitch the horse when passing underneath. References - Primary sources: 1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/1, First edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 68 (1833). 2. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Co Antrim: Blaris Parish (1837). Reprinted as Day, A. & McWilliams, P. (eds), Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, vol.8, pp 34-35 (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991). 3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/2, Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 68 (1858). 4. PRONI OS/10/1/68/6/1, First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 68-06 (1900). 5. PRONI OS/10/1/68/6/2, Second edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 68-06 (1920). 6. PRONI OS/10/1/68/6/3, Third edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 68-06 (1939). References - Secondary sources: 1. Green, E.R.R. The Industrial Archaeology of County Down, p.61 (Belfast: HMSO, 1963).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form F. Structural System H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A triple-span stone arch bridge which carries the main Lisburn-Hillsborough road over the River Lagan. The quality of construction of this bridge and its substantial width reflects the importance of the road on which it was located - on the turnpike route between Belfast, Newry and Dublin. Architecturally, the bridge displays good style and proportions and survival of a boundary marker post adds to the bridge’s interest. Although guniting has obscured the construction of the bridge’s soffit, the OS Memoirs statistics suggest that it is as originally built, except for the parapets which have undoubtedly been rebuilt and heightened. Retaining its landscape setting at river level with a public footpath at the riverside, the bridge makes a positive contribution to the heritage of Lisburn.

General Comments

Date of Survey

03 June 2010