MOBUOY BRIDGE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A substantial six-span road bridge, probably of late 18th century date, carrying the Carmoney Road over the River Faughan, in a rural
setting east of its junction with the main Londonderry-Limavady Road.

The bridge is in a rural setting, surrounded by fields on all sides; the field at NE is now part of a golf course belonging to the Faughan Valley Golf Centre. The east bank of the river has been embanked; this earthen bank runs up to the second pier from the E side such that the two eastern arches are now always dry. The river runs under three of the remaining four arches on the ‘wet’ side of the embankment; the fourth arch is dry in normal circumstances. Prior to the embankment, the two eastern arches would have acted as flood arches. The river is accessible via wooden steps at the NW and SE ends of the bridge.

The bridge is of random rubble construction throughout. The bases of the abutments and piers are underpinned with mass concrete (a later addition) to prevent undercutting. There are angled cutwaters at both ends of all but the east most pier, rising to arch spring level. The four main arches are of equal size, but the two at the E end are slightly narrower and diminish in height such that the flat deck of the bridge slopes steeply downwards at this end before making a sharp turn to the left.

All the arches are of semicircular profile and have split stone voussoirs. There are also projecting stones at arch spring level which supported the timber falsework during the arches’ construction. There are metal tie rods through all the spandrels. There are minor repairs to the parapet in mass concrete, and both parapets have also been coped with concrete.

Setting:
The bridge is in a rural setting, on an approximately east-west axis on Carmoney Road, just east of its junction with the main Londonderry-Limavady Road, and spans the River Faughan which flows in a northerly direction.

Materials:
Random rubble, later concrete copings

Historical information

This bridge is shown on the 1830 OS map, and captioned as Moybuoy Bridge on the 1853 map and subsequent editions. It is probably of late 18th century date and the road on which it is situated may have been the main road between Londonderry and Limavady before the present one was built along the coast via Maydown and Greysteel.

References – Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/5/14/1. OS 6-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 14 (1830).
2. PRONI OS/6/5/14/2. OS 6-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 14 (1853).
3. PRONI OS/10/5/14/4/1. OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 14-04 (1905).
4. PRONI OS/10/5/14/4/2. OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 14-04 (1924).
5. PRONI OS/10/5/14/4/4. OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 14-04 (1949).
6. PRONI OS/11/27/13/1. OS IG 1:2500 map sheet 27-13 (1965).

References – Secondary Sources:
1. W.A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, p.39 (Belfast: HMSO, 1980).

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
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A substantial six-span road bridge, probably of late 18th century date, carrying the Carmoney Road over the River Faughan. Located in a rural setting east of its junction with the main Londonderry-Limavady Road.
This random rubble stone bridge is a robust example of late 18th century engineering work, demonstrating simplicity in construction and detail. The cutwaters and projecting stones at arch spring level along with its size adds to its interest. Its survival relatively unaltered is of note and it is a fine example of the type. Historically, it represents the development of the road network in the county.

General comments

Additional listing criteria apply - R-Age, S-Authenticity