The Belfast and County Down Railway.
An Irish Gauge railway opened in 1848 and had lines from Belfast to Bangor, from Belfast to Donaghadee via Comber and Newtownards. There was a line ran from Comber via Ballygowan, Saintfield, Crossgar to Downpatrick.
At the Junction just outside Saintfield trains carried on to Ballynahinch.
From Downpatrick there was a branch to take passengers to Ardglass via Killough and Coney Island.
Another branch from Downpatrick to Newcastle, and finally a branch from Newcastle to Castlewellan.
The Railway was closed in 1948.
As the years go on less and less of the Railway is left. The huge, and not so huge edifices that are the bridges deserve to be seen by everyone.
To build these bridges today would be an achievment.
To have done it in the mid Nineteenth Century with only Horse drawn transport to move Ton after Ton of masonary from God knows where to a windswept field God knows how far from the nearest civilisation, was a feat and a half!
Remember, no cars, no motorcycles, not even bicycles (The first "Modern bike" didn't appear 'til 1885) so the workers either walked or used horse drawn transport to get to work!!
We have the cheek to gripe about a fifteen minute commute in a warm comfortable car with the radio blaring!!
Maybe they used the train!
So.
A series of Caches to mark these monuments..............
This is one of the bridges where the Railway passed over the road. The bridge has gone but the impressive abutments remain.
The Cache.
A small Tablock box with the usual swaps and room for a small Travelbug, oh, and a log!
It's a quiet road.
But it is a road.
There is no pavement so not much room for error when you're retreiving this one.
Care at all times especially if offspring are in tow!