Survey Data
Reg No
40401517
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Technical
Original Use
Bridge
In Use As
Bridge
Date
1840 - 1880
Coordinates
240907, 310583
Date Recorded
06/06/2012
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Five-arch stone bridge, built c.1860, spanning Annalee River, having high point at centre span. Wide central segmental arches diminishing to both sides. Recent render finish to arch soffits. Piers of quarry-faced stone in varying course heights, V-cutwaters support bullnose piers with rounded caps on both elevations. Random rubble spandrel walls and rougly dressed arch rings of equal sized voussoir stones. Parapet walls of smaller random stones capped by curved dressed stone coping. Square-profile end piers on plinths with shallow pyramidal capstones.
Appraisal
A fine stone bridge, of considerable width and span, in a prominent location in Butlersbridge adjacent to Saint Aidan's Catholic Church (see 40401518). It is a good example of the nineteenth century bridge construction commissioned by the Board of Works, with its dressed stone detail and wide arches. The design with rounded piers is similar to Urney Bridge spanning the Annalee River (see 40401516), and to Baker's Bridge spanning the River Erne (see 40401514), suggesting that these belong to the same arterial drainage scheme for the improvement of the Erne and its tributaries. The bridge makes an important contribution to the historid identity of the village and to the civil engineering heritage of the county.