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Woodcot Avenue, BELFAST, BT5 5JB

A street, of terrace houses, off the Beersbridge Road. There has been some redevelopment on the north eastern (left) side. Better known as the childhood home of George Ivan Morrison. Image shows the view in the opposite direction in April 2012.

Gospel hall at the corner of Hyndford Street Image (left) and Woodcot Avenue.

Housing association housing on the eastern side of Woodcot Avenue. Shown as Greenville Road on the Google map.

Cast name sign and illuminated Coca-Cola sign, on a corner shop at the Woodcot Avenue end of Grace Avenue Image

Reputedly the oldest surviving structure in Belfast. Built on what were the lands of Con O’Neill, a 16th Irishman who owned much of east Ulster (later lost to Scottish settlers). Described (in 1967) by Charles Brett as “a hoop of ancient stonework crumbling shamefully at the foot of a pylon in the derelict wasteland behind Abetta Parade” – nothing has changed . . . . (Still in use by the way). Image (October 2012) shows the bridge, partly-submerged, after heavy overnight rain. Image shows the bridge after completion of restoration etc under the Connswater Greenway scheme.

See Image The view, upstream, towards Grand Parade. This is just inside the boundary between sections C6 and C5 (from Grand Parade). The published drawing describes the work as “Existing river course retained with works to allow flood waters to pass over weir with marginal/riparian planting to weir terraces. High-flow channel to be incorporated”.

A short back entry, running from Kensington Avenue Image to Glenbrook Avenue Image (background).

The view downstream, towards the Knock/Loop confluence Image near Con O’Neill’s Bridge Image, behind Abetta Parade. This is just inside the boundary between sections C6 and C5 (from Grand Parade). The published drawing describes the work as “Existing river course retained with works to allow flood waters to pass over weir with marginal/riparian planting to weir terraces. High-flow channel to be incorporated”. For the record the entire site from here to Elmgrove, on the Beersbridge Road, is fenced off, with no public access, for the duration of the work.

The Connswater Greenway scheme includes several new footbridges across the Knock River (Conn’s Water on the Google map). This one is between Woodcot Avenue and The Hollow/Abetta Parade. Image shows the area during work but before construction of the bridge (of standard Greenway design) had started. Image shows the bridge after it had been named.

See Image The same footbridge after naming “Hutchinson Bridge (The new bridge linking Linen Gardens & Abetta Parade) is named after the former principal of Elmgrove Primary School from 2001-2011. He was an extremely popular figure with parents and within the wider community” (official Connswater Greenway website).