Robert French - St. Helens Bridge, Crawfords Burn

Having spent some time recently down in the sunny South East, or over in beautiful Sligo, it seems appropriate that we visit the wee North. This fine manorial style bridge looks a formidable crossing over a very minor road. Given that, even 100 years ago it was overgrown, how does it look today?..While still somewhat overgrown, as evidenced by the contemporary Flickr shots linked from the comments, we are at least delighted that this striking bridge still stands. Today's contributors tell us that this bridge was built, along with the nearby Helen's Bay Railway Station ( Helen's_Bay_railway_station ) in the 1860s. Designed by architect Benjamin Ferrey ( Benjamin_Ferrey ) , the project was bankrolled by Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava ( Lord_Dufferin ) , whose lands the line traversed. And whose coat-of-arms ( http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2451551 ) still adorn the bridge.......Photographer: Robert French..Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection ( http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000313414 ) ..Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914..NLI Ref: L_ROY_02853 ( vtls000324087 ) ..You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie ( http://catalogue.nli.ie )