Survey Data
Reg No
15402712
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social, Technical
Original Use
Bridge
In Use As
Bridge
Date
1800 - 1810
Coordinates
254850, 249782
Date Recorded
27/10/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Single-arch canal bridge carrying small road over Royal Canal, built c.1806. Constructed of dressed limestone with ashlar limestone detailing including a projecting string course at parapet base level/road level. Cut stone pillars to ends of parapet walling. Base of bridge is slightly battered. Towpath with cut stone facing to canal edge runs under the bridge to the north. Located to the southwest of Killucan adjacent to the north of a later railway bridge (15402711).
Appraisal
A typically well-built canal bridge, which is a valuable part of the architectural heritage of Westmeath and the industrial heritage of Ireland. Although humble in form, this structure has a simple and functional elegance. It is robustly built in fine stone masonry, which is testament to the long term ambitions of the Royal Canal Company at the start of the nineteenth century. The use of locally sourced material gives it a distinctive visual appeal and helps to integrate this feature into the local landscape. This form of this bridge contrasts appealingly with the rusticated form of the later railway bridge to the south (15402711), illustrating changing design trends in engineering as the nineteenth century progressed.