Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB05/05/007

Address :
'New Bridge' Drones Road Armoy Ballymoney County Antrim

Townland:
Turnarober

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
23/10/1980 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

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OS Map No:
15/10

IG Ref:
D0683 3281

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Owner Category

Central Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Single-arch, rubble-built road bridge carrying Drones Road over the River Bush, built some time between 1832 and 1857. The bridge located on east side of the village of Armoy. The bridge is constructed in squared rubble and has a segmental arch has dressed sandstone voussoirs and keystone, a sandstone plat band at carriageway level, and sandstone coping to the parapets. The parapets terminate in square piers which project to each face of the bridge.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This bridge is not shown on the OS map of 1832, but does appear on that of 1857, where it is marked ‘New Br[idge]’. It was constructed to carry a new stretch of Drones Road, allowing those travelling between Ballycastle and Ballymena to ‘by-pass’ Armoy. It is possible that this road, (and by default the bridge), was built around 1835-40, for Lewis’s ‘Topographical Dictionary’ of 1837 mentions the building of ‘new roads’ in the vicinity of Armoy References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/6/1/13/1 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1832) 2 Lewis, Samuel, ‘Topographical history of Ireland’ (London, 1837) 3 PRONI OS/6/1/13/2 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1857) 4 PRONI OS/6/1/13/3 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1906) Other
references 1 EHS HB05/05/007 First Survey report (26 September 1972) 2 EHS HB05/05/007 Photograph (October 1972)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Single-arch, rubble-built road bridge carrying Drones Road over the River Bush, built some time between 1832 and 1857. An untouched example of a mid 19th-century road bridge which adds much to its surroundings.

General Comments

Date of Survey

04 October 2004