Massereene Bridge, Bridge Street, Antrim, Co Antrim

Massereene Bridge is a six-arch stone bridge carrying a public road north-south over the Six Mile Water in Antrim. Built in 1708 by Viscount Massereene and John O'Neill under the supervision of George Jackson and Alexander Cornwell, it represents a good example of early 18th-century rubble stone construction. The bridge was repaired and widened on the west side in 1857 by contractor William Vance, presumably to the designs of Charles Lanyon, who was County Surveyor at the time.

The east face displays walling of basalt rubble with rough voussoirs to elliptical arches. It features angled triangular cutwaters, one of which is surmounted by a projecting rectangular refuge rising above the parapet. The parapet coping is feather edged with vertical borders let into the parapet. The west face, added during the 1857 widening, consists of later roughly coursed blackstone rubble with angular triangular cutwaters and dressed granite voussoirs to elliptical arches. The parapet coping matches the east face and is surmounted by an original mid-19th century cast iron lamp standard. At each end, the parapet terminates in a large square stone pier with moulded cap, abutted by pedestrian gateways comprising original mid-19th century cast iron posts. The carriageway is flat, bordered by pavements.

The inner face of the eastern refuge contains a contemporary commemorative plaque recording the building of the bridge in 1708, with a later inscription added in 1857 documenting the widening works. The base of the refuge is filled with angled stone blocks. The bridge stands within the built-up area of the town, providing a picturesque feature of 18th to 19th-century townscape. Adjacent banks are largely overgrown except for the north bank on the west side, which features a modern arrangement of timber decking leading to the bridge carriageway by modern timber steps.