Railway Bridge, Helen's Bay Railway Station, Helen's Bay, Bangor, Co Down

Railway Bridge at Helen's Bay Railway Station

A single-arch masonry bridge built around 1862 in Scottish Baronial style, designed by Benjamin Ferrey to carry the Belfast-Bangor railway line over Clandeboye Avenue. The bridge was constructed on the estate of Frederick, 1st Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, who dictated its design as a condition of allowing the railway to pass through his property. The railway company met the costs of this distinctive structure, which stands as one of the most notable railway bridges in Northern Ireland.

The bridge is constructed in rock-faced blackstone blocks embellished with high-quality sandstone dressing. The abutments are of rock-faced blackstone laid to courses with dressed sandstone quoins. The two-centred arch comprises five in-stepped courses of chamfered ashlar sandstone with vee jointing between the courses. The soffit is of rubbed ashlar sandstone, while the spandrels are random rubble blackstone. The ribbed ashlar stonework is of particular technical merit.

Set over the crown of the arch is a large recessed triangular panel delineated by two courses of ashlar sandstone. It contains the Dufferin family heraldic shield surmounted by a coronet and flanked by a lion rampant on each side. Below the shield on the south face is inscribed 'Per Vias Rectas' (by the right ways), though this is now indecipherable on the opposite face. A moulded sandstone string course runs along the base of the parapet, rising over the apex of the coat of arms. The parapets rise in two steps over the apex of the coat of arms and are coped with cut sandstone blocks.

The arch is delineated on each side by a half-round turret of ashlar sandstone blocks, set over moulded corbels at arch spring level and surmounted by ashlar sandstone conical spires. A slit opening towards the top of each turret at platform level allows the parapet string course to rise over it. The parapet copings continue as a string course around the base of each turret spire. On the rail side of each turret at platform level is a small square-headed circular recess within the turret. The wing walls are of quarried rubble blackstone forming part of the adjoining coach yard.

The bridge carries a double-track railway line diagonally over Clandeboye Avenue between Helen's Bay and Clandeboye House. Although the line was originally single track, the bridge's depth was designed to allow for future doubling. The bridge has group value with the railway station and related railway structures in the vicinity.

The Belfast, Holywood & Bangor Railway Company began construction of the Holywood-Bangor section in 1862, with the line opening on 19 May 1865 after three years of work made difficult by land access issues and extensive rock blasting. The Belfast & County Down Railway Company subsequently leased the line in 1873 and acquired it outright in 1884. In 1948 the line was taken over by the Ulster Transport Authority, followed by Northern Ireland Railways in 1968. It is now operated by Translink.