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19-628: The older Saltwater Bridge stood nearby, on roughly the same alignment. This had been built in the 1640s over the Blackstaff River . Tradition holds that King William III crossed it in 1690 on his way to the Battle of the Boyne . The Blackstaff River (or Owenvarra) formerly flowed from west to east at the northern end of what is now Sandy Row . A bridge was built across the Blackstaff at this spot in 1611. It

38-638: A "designated watercourse" of the Department for Infrastructure , and is controlled and maintained by the Rivers Agency . It has been cited as a main contributor to the high flood risk in central and low-lying areas of Belfast. In particular on 16 August 2008, a newly opened underpass carrying the M1 motorway onto the A12 Westlink controversially flooded to a depth of 20 feet (6.1 m) during heavy rain with water from

57-588: A day before demolition was due to begin, a request for an injunction to stop the demolition was lodged at the High Court by the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society . This came after Translink claimed that they would seek damages of £100,000 a week for any delays to the demolition. The legal challenge failed and demolition started on 12 October. In November, a protest was made in Sandy Row against

76-456: A mountain burn" to "the greatest eyesore in the town", and proposed a system of culverts to hide it from view. This work was accomplished in the succeeding decade, and the river was buried beneath the city. Much like the neighbouring Farset , the Blackstaff is now largely invisible, although there are still unculverted sections along the Boucher Road in the west of the city. The Blackstaff is

95-542: A new bridge was built over the Belfast–Lisburn railway line, to the north of the old river bridge. This new bridge became known as the Boyne Bridge. In 1936, the Boyne Bridge was rebuilt, becoming wider and longer. The old Saltwater Bridge became part of the foundations of its approach road at the southern (Sandy Row) end. It was covered by a layer of gunite (sprayed concrete) and the new road built over it. In 1990,

114-474: A wide, muddy estuary that extended as far up as Sandy Row . Here, it was spanned by a stone crossing called the Saltwater Bridge, which stood where the Boyne Bridge stands today. In the 17th century the situation of the Blackstaff became a problem for the newly built town of Belfast, which found its potential for expansion limited by the mud flats on its southern side. A variety of improvements were made in

133-789: Is the biggest and was one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland. An element of the development is two covered, multi-level streets linked to the glass dome, which measures 37 m in diameter and 45 m in height. A public square covered entirely by the glass dome serves as the hub of the entire area. The Jaffe Fountain, constructed in the 1870s by former Lord Mayor Otto Jaffe in memory of his father, has been restored to its original location in Victoria Square. There are pedestrian links to nearby business, nightlife and shopping streets on Laganside, Donegall Place, Royal Avenue and Ann Street. A large section of

152-445: Is the largest House of Fraser (now Frasers) that the retailer has opened in the UK, at nearly 200,000 square feet (19,000 m ). Victoria Square was developed by Multi Development UK Ltd. The architects were Building Design Partnership and T+T Design, the in house architects of Multi Corporation. At approximately 800,000 square feet (74,000 m ) and costing £400m, Victoria Square

171-493: The Blackstaff River was diverted and culverted , so that it no longer flowed under the former Saltwater Bridge. A later archaeological survey found that some stonework of the old Saltwater Bridge survived, buried 2–3 meters underneath the road surface, where Sandy Row meets the Boyne Bridge. In 2017, Translink proposed to demolish the Boyne Bridge and replace it with a road at ground level, as part of redevelopment plans for

190-752: The Forth or Clowney River, which meets it beneath the Broadway Roundabout in West Belfast. The Blackstaff's name probably references a primitive crossing formed from blackened beams of oak. It was known in Irish as the Abhainn Bheara or Owenvarra, meaning "river of the staff". In earlier times the Blackstaff flowed into the Lagan immediately above the present-day Queen's Bridge at what is now Victoria Square , and formed

209-444: The bridge listed status failed as the Department for Communities ruled there was no specific architectural interest to list it. The decision to demolish the bridge was approved in 2019, though campaigners in 2021 requested a ministerial review. Demolition was scheduled for October 2024, with Translink stating the bridge would be "sensitively dismantled" and the new road built, which Translink says will take one year to finish. However

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228-551: The center's roof is covered in Sedum in an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint of Victoria Square. The development spans approximately 800,000 ft² (75,000m²) of retail over four floors. Q-Park provides 2 levels of basement parking with approx. 1,000 car spaces. The retail space includes 98 unit shops, with leisure units including an 8 screen Odeon Cinema . There are also restaurants, bars and cafés . The development also included 106 apartments. Belfast Grand Central Station

247-537: The culverted Blackstaff and Clowney Rivers. 54°34′51″N 5°57′48″W  /  54.58074°N 5.96326°W  / 54.58074; -5.96326 Victoria Square, Belfast Victoria Square is a shopping complex located in Belfast , Northern Ireland . The area includes over 62 shops, 16 restaurants and an Odeon cinema. Opened on 6 March 2008, Victoria Square is a commercial, residential and leisure development that took 6 years to build. Its anchor tenant

266-658: The demolition. Blackstaff River The Blackstaff River is a watercourse in County Antrim , Northern Ireland . It rises on the eastern slope of the Black Mountain before flowing down into the Bog Meadows and passing under the city of Belfast , where it enters the River Lagan . Much of its course has been culverted and built upon since the 19th century, making it largely invisible today. Its tributaries include

285-537: The new Belfast Grand Central station . Translink argued that the bridge, which dates from the 1930s, does not cross over a street or river, and will no longer cross over a railway line when the new station is built. This was protested by local residents of Sandy Row on heritage grounds, citing the King William tradition. They requested the Boyne Bridge be refurbished or included in the new development, and proposed it be granted listed building status. The proposal to grant

304-512: The original limit of the town. In 1767, Henry Joy (whose family published the Belfast Newsletter ) purchased a parcel of land at Cromac in order to build a paper mill, which would be powered by the Blackstaff. The original outlet of the river was turned into a mill dam, giving additional power to the mill. The dam was later drained and developed into the Markets district of the city, while

323-499: The paper mill closed in the 1850s. The Gasworks here opened in 1823 and continued to operate until the 1980s, when the site was converted into a business park and the section of the Blackstaff that ran through it was culverted. The Blackstaff remained open until the late 19th century, but became increasingly foul and polluted. In 1881, an article in the Newsletter complained that the river had gone from being "little more polluted than

342-559: The succeeding years. A new channel was cut at the river's mouth to allow boats to reach a wharf at Belfast Castle , and in the 1690s the river was diverted through a cutting in Cromac Wood, at what is now the Gasworks. This work, commissioned by the Earl of Donegall during a lean period in order to provide relief for local labourers, allowed development to commence on the southern side of Ann Street,

361-593: Was rebuilt around 1642, becoming known as the Great Bridge or Brick Kiln Bridge, and eventually the Saltwater Bridge, to reflect the fact that the Blackstaff was tidal up to this point. Local tradition holds that in 1690, during the Williamite War in Ireland , King William III (William of Orange) crossed over the old bridge on his way south to the Battle of the Boyne . The bridge was extensively repaired in 1717. In 1863,

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