Old Bridge, Tollymore Park, Newcastle, Co Down

Rubble-built vehicle bridge (dating from 1726, but ‘repaired’ in 1822), spanning the Shimna River as it flows through Tollymore Forest Park. The bridge has a single elliptical arch, with dressed voussoirs in red granite, and springs from a the rock out crops to the bank. A metal rod has been attached to the underside of the arch and protrudes to the E side. The parapets have rough vertically set rubble coping with a panel to one side which reads ‘I H 1726’ and another to the other side which reads ‘repaird 1822’. To the N and S ends of the bridge the parapets are splayed and the (unusually wide) drive over the bridge is now covered in concrete to the centre and fine gravel to the ends. To the N the W parapet culminates in a short but relatively broad flight of stone steps with low parapets which match those of the bridge. These steps look as if they may be a recent addition. This bridge looks as though it has been renovated in fairly recent years. Its overall ‘even’ appearance gives it a somewhat modern feel, it is difficult to discern what repairs may have been carried out. To the NW of the bridge is a large rock which has an inscribed dedication to the memory of David Stewart (1885-1970) ‘the father of state forestry in N. Ireland’.