Railway Bridge over The Village, Templepatrick, Co Antrim, BT39 0AA

This single-span railway bridge, built around 1850, crosses The Village as part of the Belfast – Ballymena railway line. Constructed during a period of significant railway expansion in Northern Ireland, it stands as a well-preserved example of 19th-century railway infrastructure. The bridge’s segmental-headed arch is defined by painted, feather-edged, rock-faced stone voussoirs and dressed imposts, while brick soffits display engineering merit. Spandrels and the parapet are constructed from squared, uncoursed basalt with feather-edged coping. A later pedestrian circular tunnel, lined with corrugated metal, was added to the west side of the bridge. The bridge spans The Village, with Templepatrick Station located to the east, and rock-faced contemporary escarpments lead to shrub-covered embankments.

The bridge was built as part of the Belfast-Ballymena Railway, which opened in April 1848. The initial sod-cutting ceremony took place in November 1845, hosted by the 10th Viscount Massereene. Templepatrick Station, shown on an 1857 Ordnance Survey map, was later extended in 1860 to serve Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portrush, and Londonderry, becoming part of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway. John Lanyon, son of Sir Charles Lanyon, was commissioned in 1873 to design stations along the Northern Counties line; it is probable that the current Templepatrick Station was rebuilt at this time, sharing stylistic similarities with stations at Downhill, Limavady and Castlerock. The bridge holds interest as an example of industrial archaeology.