Bridge to rear of, Castle Dobbs, Dobbsland, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38 9BU

A three-span road bridge built around 1790, carrying a private road through the Castle Dobbs estate over the Kilroot River in Carrickfergus. The bridge is well-preserved and attractively designed, with good proportions enlivened by decorative stone detailing.

The structure comprises granite abutments with coursed basalt rubble spandrels and parapets. The parapets are topped with sandstone pillars and rounded saddle-back coping. Three round-headed arches spring from the supports, constructed with rubble stone voussoirs, while the arch soffits are finished in random rubble. The carriageway is approximately 4 metres wide and currently finished with tarmac. A weir sits directly to the north of the bridge, featuring curved falls and a cast-iron mechanism fixed to the north elevation.

The bridge forms part of the Castle Dobbs demesne, which was established in the sixteenth century, though the present house dates to around 1730. The bridge itself is thought to have been constructed around 1790 as part of the development of the demesne into a landscape park. It sits on the main route from the north entrance, with the house located to the south-east. The setting is enhanced by mature gardens and the picturesque qualities of the weir and pond to the north, all within the private estate.

Valuation records from 1836 onwards document the evolving use of the wider estate. By the mid-nineteenth century, the demesne included a dwelling house, offices, and gate lodge. Ownership and occupancy changed hands over the decades, with the Dobbs family maintaining control until at least 1914, when the main estate comprised a house, office, steward's house, gardener's house and associated land. The gate lodge, initially part of the main valuation, was deducted and recorded separately from 1904 onwards.