Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/30/026

Address :
Albert Bridge Albertbridge Road/East Bridge Street Belfast

Townland:
Ballymacarret Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
29/10/1987 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:
130/14 SW

IG Ref:
J3492 7395

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Owner Category

Central Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

A triple-span cast-iron bridge connecting East Bridge Street on the Co Antrim side of the River Lagan to the Albertbridge Road on the river’s Co Down side. The abutments and piers are faced with granite ashlar. The piers have semicircular cutwaters at both ends, with string course over. Canted piers rise from the domed tops of the cutwaters to form intermediate parapet piers. At the upstream bank-end of the W abutment, some of the ashlar facing blocks have been replaced with mass concrete. The arches are of shallow segmental profile. Each arch comprises 11 ribs of I-section, each of which consists of five cast-iron segments bolted together. The ribs spring off masonry imposts and are cross-braced with horizontal and diagonal metal stiffeners. According to Cox and Gould, each arch spans 85ft. The middle arch has a radius of 99ft 10in but the end ones are slightly shallower, with radii of 107ft 7in. The arches are decorated with sub-rectangular mouldings along the outside faces of the arch rings. Their two spandrels also have decorative curvilinear cast-iron leaf-work and plaques bearing Belfast’s coat of arms. The cast-iron parapets are embellished with contiguous roundels, under which runs a slender moulded string course. This course continues around the intermediate parapet piers and sides of the abutments in ashlar granite. The tops of the parapets carry deep moulded handrails. The parapets continue beyond the ends of the bridge as ashlar stone approach walls with chamfered oversailing ashlar copings. They sweep outwards to terminal piers at their far ends, detailed as those on the bridge proper. The inside faces of the NW and SE approach road end piers are both inscribed: “Albert Bridge/ Erected by/ The Corporation of/ The City of Belfast/ 1890/ J.C. Bretland Engineer/ James Henry Contractor”. The SW approach wall has been broken through in the relatively recent past to make way for a public footpath along the W bank of the Lagan. Surmounting each parapet pier is a fluted cast-iron lamp standard, the bases of which carry their maker’s name: “A. Handyside & Co Ltd/ Derby & London”. These lamps (12 in all) were originally gas-lit, then electrified but are now defunct. They have been superseded by much taller electric lamp standards mounted on the deck. The deck is curved and carries four lanes of traffic, and a footpath along each side. The pedestrian and vehicular traffic are separated by a modern single-bar tubular metal railing carried on cast-iron posts mounted on a dwarf concrete wall. In the relatively recent past, electric lights have been affixed to the piers and sides of the abutments to illuminate the bridge at night.

Architects

J.C. Bretland

Historical Information

The Albert Bridge opened on 6 September 1890. It replaced an earlier five-arch masonry bridge erected by a private company in 1831. This earlier bridge was officially known as the Lagan Bridge, but colloquially as the Halfpenny Bridge on account of the toll charged. It was subsequently renamed Albert Bridge after Queen Victoria’s consort (the Queen’s Bridge, the next bridge downstream, had been named in her honour in 1849). It was acquired by the Corporation in 1860 and the toll abolished. Unfortunately two of its arches collapsed without warning on 16 September 1886. The replacement bridge was designed by J.C. Bretland, Surveyor to Belfast Corporation. Its foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor in May 1889. The contractor was James Henry & Sons (Crumlin Rd, Belfast) and the contract price was £36,500. The granite was sourced in Scotland and supplied by Messrs Newall of Dalbeattie. The cast-iron lamp standards were manufactured by A. Handyside & Co Ltd of Derby and London. It is captioned ‘Albert Bridge’ on the 1901-02 OS maps and subsequent editions. References – Primary sources: 1. Irish Builder, vol.28, p.300 (1/11/1886). 2. Architect, vol.39 (6/4/1888 and 27/4/1888). 3. Irish Builder, vol.30, p.142 (15 May 1888). 4. Irish Builder, vol.31, p.40 (1/2/1889). 5. Irish Builder, vol.32, pp 209, 216 (1/9/1890, 15/09/1890). 6. J.C. Bretland, ‘The Albert Bridge, Belfast’ in The Engineer, vol.69, p.436 (1890). 7. PRONI OS/10/1/61/9/1, First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 9-01. 8. PRONI OS/10/3/4/11/1, First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 4-11. References – Secondary sources: 1. B.S. Turner, Ireland’s Eye: the Photographs of Robert John Welch, p.32 (Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 1977). 2. P. Larmour, Belfast: an Illustrated Architectural Guide, p.52 (Belfast, Friar’s Bush Press, 1987). 3. M. Patton. Central Belfast: a Historical Gazetteer, p.4 (Belfast: UAHS, 1993). 4. R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland, pp 136-137 (London: Thomas Telford, 1998). 5. M. Gould, ‘Bridge of the month: Albert Bridge, Belfast’, in Ulster Architect, vol.13 (5), p. 39 (1996).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity U. Historic Associations V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A triple-span cast-iron road bridge with ashlar granite stonework designed by J.C. Bretland and opened in 1890 to replace an earlier bridge. This elegantly proportioned and lavishly ornamented bridge is of particular structural interest because of its shallow cast-iron spans. The embellishment of the arch spandrels and parapets is also of note. The stonework is of extremely high quality, particularly the large blocks which form the parapets. The appearance of the bridge is enhanced by its setting, now framed by modern high-rise blocks at each end. The bridge is also of local historical interest as a work of Belfast Corporation’s Surveyor (J.C. Bretland) and as a good example of late 19th century bridge architecture. The foresight of its designer is evident in the fact that although designed for carthorses, it can still cope with today’s volume of traffic. It is possibly the only example of a triple-arch road bridge in Northern Ireland.

General Comments

Date of Survey

12 May 2011