Leap Bridge, Lurgan Road, Glenavy, Crumlin, Co Antrim, BT29

Leap Bridge is a triple-arch masonry bridge carrying a minor two-lane road leading to Crumlin over the Glenavy River a short distance north of the main Glenavy-Aghalee Road. The right-bank (N) arch is dry in normal circumstances. The bridge is constructed of random rubble masonry throughout. There are angled cutwaters on its upstream (E) and downstream (W) elevations, rising to arch spring level; their angled caps continue up to the base of the parapets. The three arches are of equal size and semicircular profile, all with roughly dressed voussoirs. The soffits have been gunited, however, no wall breaks are discernible in the exposed abutments which suggests that the bridge was never widened. Two tie bars run through the spandrels of the end arches. The arches and spandrels on both elevations are slightly inset from the parapets and abutments. The parapets are coped with a mixture of squared random rubble blocks and unworked stones set on edge. Both parapets have been repaired in places with squared stone slabs. Their north ends curve out to terminate in matching pairs of cylindrical cone-topped rubble masonry gate piers or Ulster pillars supporting wrought iron gates.