Survey Data
Reg No
40849015
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Technical
Original Use
Bridge
In Use As
Bridge
Date
1780 - 1820
Coordinates
192419, 369623
Date Recorded
02/11/2007
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Double-arch road bridge, built c. 1800, carrying road over the Ballintra River. Segmental-headed arches having roughly dressed stone voussoirs. Coursed rubble stone construction to spandrels, piers and parapets. Cement rendered coping to parapets. Tarmacadam deck with grass verges. Located in the rural countryside to the east of Ballintra.
Appraisal
This simple bridge retains its early form and character, and its continued survival and use stands a testament to the quality of its original construction, and of the skill of the masons involved. This bridge was probably originally constructed during the late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century, a period which saw a great deal of road and bridge-building in Ireland, particularly by the Grand Juries (the forerunners of the County Councils). However, this bridge may be associated with a corn mill that formerly stood adjacent to the west side of this bridge, now demolished (On Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map sheet c. 1836; derelict by c. 1905). This bridge is an appealing feature in the rural landscape to the south-east of Ballintra, and is an integral element of the built and engineering heritage of the local area.