Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/05/010

Address :
Former railway bridge Ballydyan Road Ballydyan Ballynahinch Co Down

Townland:
Ballydyan

---

Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
27/05/1980 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

---

OS Map No:
186/13

IG Ref:
J4168 5465

---

Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Single span, largely rubble built, road bridge of 1857-58 built to carry the Ballydyan Road over a stretch of the former Belfast & County Down Railway line. The line was removed in 1950 and the underside of the bridge now appears to serve as a cattle shed. The bridge is located along the Ballydyan Road, roughly 3 miles NE of Ballynahinch. The bridge is mainly constructed in squared fieldstone, with sandstone used as coping to the parapets, voussoirs to the elliptical arch, and as string courses at road level and arch springing level. To either face of the bridge, either side of the arch, are large abutments with sandstone coping and squat end piers. At both ends the arch is largely covered with corrugated sheeting (the arch now appears to be used as a cattle shed), with a door in the sheeting to the S. Both faces of the bridge are largely covered in thick ivy growth.

Architects

Macneill, Sir John

Historical Information

This bridge was constructed in 1857-58 to carry the what is now known as the Ballydyan Road over a new stretch of the Belfast & Co Down Railway Company’s line to Ballynahinch. It was probably designed by the BCDR’s chief engineer, Sir John MacNeill, and built by his principal contractor, Patrick Moore. The line closed in 1950 and the underside of the arch now appears to be used as a cattle shed. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/6/3/23/2 OS map, Down sh 23, 1858 Secondary sources 1 W.A. McCutcheon ‘The industrial archaeology of Northern Ireland’ (Belfast HMSO 1980), p.143 etc. 2 Desmond Coakham ‘The Belfast & County Down Railway’ (Midland Publishing Ltd. 1998)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion D. Plan Form F. Structural System

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Single span, largely rubble built, road bridge of 1857-58 built to carry the Ballydyan Road over a stretch of the former Belfast & County Down Railway line. The line was removed in 1950. Bridge considered of special interest for its style, proportion, intact plan form, structural system and local interest.

General Comments

Date of Survey

11 October 2000