BUSH BURN BRIDGE, BALLYPATRICK TL, Glenshesk, Ballymoney, CO.ANTRIM

A masonry road bridge of 1834 over the Bush Burn on the Cushendall - Ballycastle section of the A2 road. The bridge is constructed in squared rubble mica schist brought to courses. It has recently been entirely repointed in lime mortar. Its abutments are embellished with rock-faced and margined sandstone quoins. The arch is of semicircular profile and accentuated with rock-faced and vee-jointed sandstone voussoirs. The faces on both sides of the arch are reinforced with shallow buttresses, which sweep down and away from the bridge. Their quoins are also picked out in margined sandstone blocks. A sandstone string course of half-circle profile also runs across the bridge just above the crown of the arch. The low parapets are coped with sandstone blocks, also rock-faced and margined with slightly raised square blocks at each end. Embedded in the road face of the downstream (E) parapet is an original sandstone plaque reading 'Bvsh Bvrn/ 1834' There is a crow's foot benchmark just left of the date. A short section of parapet coping immediately above this plaque has been replaced with cast concrete. The coping at the S end of the upstream parapet has been replaced in sandstone. Short rubble masonry approach walls continue beyond the bridge parapets. Their original copings have been replaced with cast concrete. Setting: This bridge lies a short distance north of Altheela Bridge (HB05/04/002). Its surrounds were originally open moorland, now planted with conifers by Forestry Service. Materials: Walling Rubble mica schist Dressings Sandstone