Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB17/06/010

Address :
Downshire Bridge The Cut Banbridge Co Down BT32

Townland:
Ballyvally

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
17/05/1976 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:
220/8

IG Ref:
J1253 4583

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Owner Category

Local Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Downshire Bridge a single-arch stone and brick road bridge which carries the Scarva – Rathfriland road over the Cut in the centre of Banbridge. The abutments are of rock-faced blackstone embellished with ashlar granite quoins. The arch is of segmental profile and is also of granite ashlar. A dressed granite platband runs through the arch at spring level. The soffit is of purple brick, in five sections which step up by a course from north to south in line with the road. The edge of the arch on both its elevations has been painted with alternate yellow and black warning stripes. Modern height warning signs (3.5m and 11ft 6in) have been affixed to either side of the arch crown on both faces. The spandrels are of randomly sized finely dressed granite blocks with a granite string course over, at crown level. The parapets comprise replacement vertical steel railings on dwarf rubble blackstone walls coped with oversailing chamfered granite blocks. The parapet walls terminate in ashlar granite piers which project outwards from just below string course level. On the road face of the SW terminal pier is a polished granite plaque reading: “Downshire Bridge/ These tablets were inserted by the/ inhabitants of Banbridge/ to commemorate the coming of age/ of the/ sixth Marquis of Downshire/ 2nd July 1892”. On the NE pier is a second plaque reading: “Downshire Bridge/ erected AD 1834/ rebuilt 1885”. The deck carries two lines of traffic and two footpaths. The Cut is a two-lane road which rises from north to south through the arch, to emerge near the summit of the hill in the town centre. Traffic is single file directly under the bridge which crosses it halfway along. Its sides are lined with almost-vertical random rubble blackstone walls which continue up as parapets alongside the roads on either side of the cutting; these parapets are coped with dressed granite blocks. The side walls continue for a short distance at both ends as steel railings on dwarf rubble walls coped with granite flags; these are obviously later additions. The walls are secured with steel plates anchored into their sides. Setting Prominently located in the centre of Banbridge town, flanked either side by two and three storey historic and modern buildings, now predominantly of commercial use. Former town hall (HB17/06/009) and post office (HB17/06/028) immediately to the west. Roof: n/a Walling: stone Windows: n/a RWG: n/a

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The Cut, some 180m long, was excavated through the north-facing slope rising from the River Bann in 1831-34 to reduce the gradient along this stretch of the Banbridge-Newry turnpike road. Samuel Lewis, writing in 1837, noted: “In the centre of the principal street to the west of the river formerly stood the market-house, a large and inconvenient building, which was taken down in 1832 to make way for a series of improvements. Prior to that period the street was very steep and difficult of access; but an excavation, 200 yards long and 15 feet deep, has been made along its centre, crossed by a handsome viaduct of one elliptic arch of hewn granite, under which the mail coaches and other vehicles pass. The street being very wide, a carriage road was left on each side of the excavation, running parallel with it and on a level with the ground floors of the houses, shops, and public buildings: these side roads are protected throughout their entire length by a stone wall rising from the bottom of the excavation to the height of three feet above their level. The excavation interrupts the communication between the houses on the opposite sides of the street; but the viaduct being placed at the intersection of the streets obviates that inconvenience. This great undertaking was completed in 1834, at an expense, including the erection of the viaduct and the formation of its approaches, of £19,000”. The bridge and underpass together formed what is reputedly Ireland’s first flyover (i.e. road-over-road crossing) and both are shown on the 1833 and 1861 OS maps. This work, which cost £509, was carried out by William Dargan concurrently with the building the present Bann Bridge across the river at the foot of the hill. The entire scheme was initiated by the Postmaster General to speed up mail coach services and was financed by the County Down Grand Jury. Not everyone was, however, appreciative of the work. The 1834 Ordnance Survey Memoir notes: “It [Banbridge] is situated on the top of a steep hill above the river, up which the ascent was so difficult that it was determined to make a cut through the centre of the street, which its breadth allowed of. This, though of great benefit to travellers, is of none to the inhabitants, indeed, on the contrary, and it is a subject of much complaint”. The flyover bridge was completely rebuilt in a widened form in 1885 and it is shown in this new state on the 1889 OS map. According to the First Survey card, it was originally known as ‘The Jingler’s Bridge’. This was probably an unofficial name as it is uncaptioned on both maps. The bridge was named ‘Downshire Bridge’ in 1892 to commemorate the 21st birthday of the town’s landlord Arthur Wills John Wellington Trumbull Blundell Hill (1871-1918). It is thus captioned on the 1903 OS map. References – Primary sources: 1. Plaques on bridge. 2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1. First edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 27 (1833). 3. PRONI OS/8/4/1A/5 and 8. First edition OS 1:500 town map, Banbridge sheets 5 and 8 (1861). 4. PRONI OS/8/4/2A/5 and 8. Second edition OS 1:500 town map, Banbridge sheets 5 and 8 (1861). 5. PRONI OS/8/4/3/3. OS 1:1056 town map, Banbridge sheet 3 (1903). References - Secondary sources: 1. OS Memoir for Seapatrick Parish (1834). Reprinted as A. Day & P. McWilliams (eds), Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Parishes of County Down III, 1833-8, Mid-Down, pp 124-125 (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1992). 2. S. Lewis, ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’ volume 1, p.177 (Dublin: 1837). 3. W.A. McCutcheon, ‘Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland’, plates 6.6 and 7.4 (Belfast: HMSO, 1980). 4. M. Barry, ‘Across Deep Waters’, p.136 (Dublin: Frankfort Press, 1985). 5. First Survey card (1969).

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 Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Downshire Bridge is a single arch stone and brick bridge of 1885 over an 1830s road known as the Cut excavated through the hillside in the centre of Banbridge. Although of modest scale and not the original bridge, this late 19th century replacement displays fine quality workmanship, particularly in the use of ashlar granite. The stepped brick soffits are also of technical interest. The bridge is of historic interest due to its attested date; Nineteenth century flyovers such as this are also rare in Ireland. The Cut is also of interest in reflecting 1830s road improvements instigated by the Post Office.

General Comments

Date of Survey

26 February 2012