Railway Viaduct, Randalstown, Antrim, Co Antrim

An eight-arched masonry viaduct of slightly skewed form, built to carry the Antrim to Cookstown railway over the River Main at the east end of Randalstown, but now closed to railway traffic although open to pedestrians. It comprises the central six arches spanning the river, with the ones at either end spanning a mill race and a road respectively. Built of snecked rock faced basalt rubble with margined voussoirs of rhyolite to semi-circular arches, and a large roll moulding of rhyolite projecting at carriageway level. Piers are slightly battered and are faced on the north, or upstream side, by low angled cutwaters; piers surmounted at the springing of the arches by a projecting square impost course; intrados of each arch vaulted with skewed brickwork; main parapets have rusticated sandstone copings, flat topped. Abutments of similar walling with similar parapets break forward to form double piers on each face, of battered form. Curved raking retaining walls of basalt rubble with rock copings to both north and south sides of abutment at west end, the one to the north terminating with a break in plane where it meets a low boundary retaining wall. At the east end the bridge continues over the main road as a single skew girder span, a later replacement for the original removed sometime after the line closure in 1959, to an abutment of similar construction to previous, which terminates at a main road with the carriageway truncated. Carriageway has had track removed with main span later landscaped with grassed strip and footpaths. New flat girder with steel trellis-work parapets of segmental arched profile surmounted by antique-style cast iron lamp standards. Abutment on eastern side of main road beyond girder bridge has a tarmac path with grass verges and modern ranch-style timber fencing; angled raking retaining walls to both north and south of this abutment, of snecked basalt rubble with basalt rock copings, the one to the south terminating at a short pier where it meets low boundary walling of basalt rubble to the grassy embankments which curves on round to the east, and contains a modern gate and a new gateway. SETTING: The viaduct stands adjacent to the built-up area of the town, to the south of the road bridge, running at an angle to the very much lower road bridge and crossing over it with its flat girder. Banks to each side are thick with trees and bushes. The viaduct is the most conspicuous structure in the town, dominating the riverscape and thus forming an important landmark. It is approached from the east by an open gateway leading to an inclined path up to the northern abutment and new girder bridge, and also approached from the west by a new open gateway at New Street leading on to a path laid along the former railway track.