Cumber Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description at 04.03.15
Description as below except that apprioximately 2.5m of the south-east approach wall has been knocked down.

Description at 15.08.14
Cumber Bridge is a late 18th century three-arch random rubble masonry road bridge carrying the one-and-a-half lane Cregg Road over the River Faughan a short distance downstream from Claudy. The bridge is surrounded by fields on all sides and is constructed of random rubble masonry throughout comprising three equi-sized segmental arches. The ends of the outer arches spring from bedrock rather than abutments. The piers have angled cutwaters to both ends which rise to spandrel level. Those between the left (east) and middle arches continue up to parapet level where they form a small triangular pedestrian refuge on each side of the road. The arch voussoirs are of split stone rubble.
The parapets are coped with concrete, although vestiges of the original vertically-set split stone copings survive at the west end of the upstream one. This end of the downstream parapet has been rebuilt following a vehicle impact. The deck of the bridge slopes slightly up from east to west.
Both parapets are heavily repointed with cementaceous mortar. Pairs of steel tie rods run between the spandrels of the upstream left and middle arches. There is heavy vegetation overgrowth at the west end of the upstream face, and a tree is growing out of the top of the pier between the middle and right-hand arch on its upstream face.

Setting:
Located in a rural
setting on the Cregg Road, south-west of the village of Claudy, Co. Londonderry and spanning over the River Faughan, the bridge is orientated on an approximately east-west axis.

Materials:
General construction Random rubble masonry
Arch Voussoirs Split stone rubble
Copings Concrete with some remains of split stone

Historical information

The date of this bridge is uncertain, but its features a narrow carriageway and three arches with angled cutwaters and positioning in relation to the river course suggest a structure of possible 17th or early 18th century construction. It lies along what appears to be originally the main road between Londonderry and Dungiven, and a bridge is shown crossing this point of the River Faughan on Herman Moll’s map of Ireland of 1714.

The structure is described in the OS Memoirs of November 1832 as ‘the oldest bridge in the parish and, although it has an antiquated appearance, it is strong and in good repair. It rests on three arches and its breadth is only 11 feet, with a triangular recess on each side extending over one of the abutments [sic]. Its foundation is on the natural outcropping rock of schist’. It appears on the OS map of the same year, and although three cutwaters are depicted, this is likely to be a stock cartographic convention and not literal. On the revised OS map of 1849-53 (and those thereafter) it is specifically captioned ‘Cumber Bridge’.

The tie rods are likely to have been introduced into the bridge’s fabric in the early to mid 20th century, due to the increase in motor traffic, whilst he repairs to the parapets are probably of the latter decades of the same century.

References – Primary sources
1 ‘A New Map of Ireland’ by Herman Moll (1714)
2 Ordnance Survey Memoir for Cumber Upper Parish (1832). Reprinted by Institute of Irish Studies as Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Parishes of Co Londonderry 9 (West Londonderry), p.9; (eds A. Day & P. McWilliams; Belfast, 1995)
3 PRONI OS/6/5/23/1 First edition OS 1:10,560 map Co Londonderry sheet 23 (1832)
4 PRONI OS/6/5/23/2 Revised edition OS 1:10,560 map Co Londonderry sheet 23 (1849-53)
5 PRONI OS/6/5/29/3 Second edition OS 1:10,560 map Co Londonderry sheet 29 (1905)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Cumber Bridge is a late 18th century three-arch random rubble masonry road bridge carrying the Cregg Road over the River Faughan a short distance downstream from Claudy.
The arch voussoirs are of split stone rubble and the piers have angled cutwaters to both ends which rise to spandrel level. One cutwater on each side rises to form a small triangular pedestrian refuge.
Alterations to its parapet do not significantly detract from its interest and the bridge remains largely unchanged. It is a robust example of a utilitarian road bridge demonstrating simplicity in construction and detail. Its lack of embellishment is representative of late 18th century bridge construction. Historically, the structure is of interest in being referred to in the 1832 Ordnance Survey Memoir as, 'the oldest in the parish.' It also represents the development of the road network in the county.

General comments

Additional listing criteria apply - R-Age, S-Authenticity, T-Historic Importance