Road/Rail Bridge, Craigmore Road, Newry, Co Down

This is a granite bridge, likely constructed between 1840 and 1859, carrying Craigmore Road over a cutting formed by the former Goraghwood – Newry railway line. The bridge is of interest due to its elegant arch profile, subtle detailing in the granite, skilled construction, and the overall high standard of workmanship, despite later modifications.

The bridge features a single semi-elliptical skew span of granite masonry. The abutments are built of large, rock-faced granite blocks laid in regular courses. The spandrels, parapets, and wing walls are constructed from squared rubble, with the spandrels laid in regular courses, the parapets randomly, and the wing walls also randomly but brought to courses. The wing walls are slightly angled and have rusticated quoins. Decorative elements include a finely-dressed, chamfered string course that runs through the arch at spring level (returning around the quoins), rusticated quoins, and stepped voussoirs that fit into the spandrel courses. A finely-dressed projecting string course is positioned across each face above the arch crown. The arch soffit is constructed from finely-dressed granite blocks set on the skew. While the south parapet has a concrete coping, the north parapet retains finely-dressed, chamfered blocks. The carriageway has a slightly humped profile, and the road takes a winding approach on both sides. A narrow footpath runs along the south parapet. A cast-iron pipe crosses the outer face of the north parapet, supported by a large concrete block built into the spandrel above the arch crown.

The railway line, initially constructed by the Newry & Enniskillen Railway Company and opened in 1854, was intended to connect with Enniskillen, but was only built as far as Armagh. The line crossed the Belfast – Dublin railway at Goraghwood and, with the addition of a line connecting Edward St Station to Dublin Rd Station in 1861, also linked with Warrenpoint. The railway was acquired by the Great Northern Railway Company in 1879 and closed in 1965. The bridge is believed to be part of the original layout of the Newry to Armagh railway line. The designer is currently unknown. The bridge possesses industrial archaeological interest and demonstrates local historical significance.