Bridge, Gransha Road, Bangor, Co Down, BT 19

This skew arched bridge carries the Gransha Road over the Newtownards-Donaghadee section of the former Belfast & Co Down Railway. The abutments, spandrels and parapets of this bridge are of random rubble blackstone embellished with sandstone dressings; the arch soffit is of brick. The abutments are edged with rock-faced and margined sandstone block quoins. A similarly detailed chamfered string course runs through the arch at spring level and around the quoins. The arch is of semi-elliptical profile, with similarly detailed, vee-jointed sandstone voussoirs. Although the arch is skewed, the soffit’s brickwork is laid orthogonally. A curved string course identical to that through the arch runs across the arch crown to delineate the bottoms of the parapets. There are also shallow abutments to each side, with rock-faced/margined quoins. The SE abutment is now obscured by a concrete revetment along the N side of a yard belonging to an adjacent house. The parapets have a slightly curved profile matching that of the string courses. They are coped with vermiculated sandstone blocks, chamfered and oversailing to their outsides. Some delamination of these blocks has occurred, particularly along the E parapet, resulting in partial stepping of their top surfaces. The slightly humped deck carries a two-lane carriageway with a footpath along each side. Setting The bridge is set in agricultural land with small fields and hedgerows. The shallow former single-track railway cutting is now waterlogged and partly infilled at each end of the bridge with rubbish. Walling: random rubble