Survey Data
Reg No
13304020
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Technical
Original Use
Bridge
In Use As
Bridge
Date
1850 - 1870
Coordinates
222016, 280851
Date Recorded
12/06/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Single-arch road bridge, built c. 1860, over the Camlin River. Possibly incorporating the fabric of an earlier bridge to site. Segmental-headed arch with rock-faced voussoirs. Squared limestone rubble masonry to barrel. Coursed squared rock-faced limestone masonry to spandrel walls, abutments and to parapets. Rock-faced limestone coping to parapets with concrete repairs in places. Rubble stone wing walls to either side (east and west) probably part of earlier bridge to site. Located to the west/northwest of Ballinalee.
Appraisal
A robustly-built small-scale bridge, of mid nineteenth-century appearance, which is a pleasing feature in the rural landscape to the west of Ballinalee. The good quality heavily rock-faced masonry is a typical feature of the many bridges built throughout Ireland by the Board of Works during the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and particularly between c. 1847 - 60, suggesting that they may have been responsible for its construction. This bridge is similar in form to a number of other bridges over the Camlin River in north County Longford, including Ballinalee Bridge (13304002) to the east, which suggests that it was built as part of a general drainage and/or bridge building programme. The present structure replaced an earlier at this location (Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map 1838). The Camlin River was considerable wider at this point at this time. It is likely that the present bridge contains fabric from this earlier structure, particularly at the approaches to either end. It represents an integral element of the civil engineering heritage of County Longford.