Drumahoe Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Sited on a bend of the river Faughan where it sweeps round from its south east/north easterly direction to flow northward to its outfall into Lough Foyle and at the junction of the townlands of Drumahoe, Fincarn and Ardnabrocky. On its western side is the extended old inn, now known as the Three Mile Inn, of around c 1800. On the eastern side there is a presbyterian church and sexton’s house. To the south the old dwelling house of the former mill no longer exists. Much housing development, private and public has and is taking place on the eastern side. The river bank has pleasant mature trees on that side and there is access to the riverbank though the banks of the river could be kept in a more presentable state.

The bridge, constructed of stone with stone parapets, has four arches constructed in similar fashion to Mobuoy and Ballykelly bridges. The stone is schist. Upstream there are triangular breakwaters which those on the downstream side are semicircular. At sometime in the past the bridge has been widened approximately increasing its width by two fifths and the joint is easily discernible and the stone craftsmanship differs. Interestingly on the older section corbel stones remain at the springing of the arch and these would have facilitated the support of the timber form work. The top of the old parapet can be seen on the upstream side. Water flows through all arches The bridge has been strengthened by means of tie rods, two per arch with large stiffened flange or pattress plates. The arches, semicircular, rest on piers which sit on the springing line at about 2.4 metres (8’ 0”).

Historical information

The older part of the bridge is pre 1800 and is referred in the O S Memoirs as the old stone bridge. The width extension probably dates from the realignment of the Derry/Dungiven road c 1860.

Reference: O S Memoirs Vol 34

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Rusticated four arch stone bridge of the Georgian period with Victorian width increase. It is a good example of the development of stone road bridges from the eighteenth century through widening in the nineteenth and further strenghthening in the later twentieth century. Two different styles of stonework are easily identified.