Ivy Bridge, Tollymore Park, Newcastle, Co Down

Single span rubble built vehicle bridge of 1780 with accompanying small gothick turrets. The bridge spans the Shimna River as it flows through Tollymore Forest Park, and is located to the E side of the park. The bridge has a single pointed arch, with rough stone voussoirs. The parapets are also in fieldstone rubble, with coping of mainly large flat stones, and a wide outward splay to each end. Set in the centre of the parapet to the W side is a granite dressed panel with a letter ‘C’ surmounted by a cornet (the monogram of the 2nd Earl Clanbrassil, James Hamilton) with a similar dressed panel to the opposite parapet with date ‘1780’. At each end of each parapet (but free standing) is set a small square turret with castellated parapet and pyramidal spire. The main body of each turret is finished in rough cast and the faces of each has a pointed arch recess with granite dressings to the arch head. Most of these recesses are window sized but those which face into the river are tall enough for a person to shelter in. The castellated parapets are in stone with the spires in V-jointed ashlar granite. The drive over the bridge is covered in fine gravel.