Kennedy’s Bridge, [near Cherryvalley Drive etc.], Cherryvalley, Comber, Co Down, BT23

This sandstone railway bridge was built between 1848 and 1850 to carry a railway line over a road near Cherryvalley in Comber. It formed part of the Belfast & County Down Railway, connecting Belfast, Comber, and Newtownards, which opened in May 1850. The railway line was abandoned in 1953. The bridge is now disused, neglected, and partly damaged, though it appears structurally sound. It is built of snecked sandstone and features a single semicircular arch with projecting voussoirs, a brick intrados, and a ‘spring’ band. Piers and curved retaining walls flank the arch on each side. A course runs above the arch on the southern face, where modern metal gates have been added. The southern parapet is missing much of its coping and has modern concrete fence posts. The northern face is largely obscured by vegetation. The railway tracks have been removed, and the area is now overgrown. The bridge retains industrial archaeological interest, reflecting its role in the railway network. Historic mapping from 1858-60 and published historical accounts document its construction and subsequent abandonment.