Western Fortifications

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Western stone riverside defences of the original star fort constructed around Ebrington Barracks in the 1840s made from whinstone (local schist) with sandstone and brick trims. This section is part a scheduled monument encompasing the whole star fort.

The western section consists of two corner bastions to the north west and south west, connected to a central longer bastion at the midpoint of the wall. Each bastion is self contained ie it has a corresponding courtyard area behind. This is defined to the north west by buildings (HB01/09/002 U); on the central bastion by a curving wall with sandstone gates and a central bisecting building; and to the south west as the garden of the barrack master’s house (number 17: HB01/09/002 I). Behind the central bastion, a steep road drops from north to south in front of the flat parade ground beyond and curves around to the riverside exit gates (which are currently blocked up). A stone retaining wall between road and parade ground increases in height to approximately 8 metres and is supported by stone buttresses. It has been recently repointed.

North West Bastion. Forming a courtyard behind number 40 (HB01/09/002 U), it has a flat concrete coping and the marks of rifle slits now bricked up. There is a brick lined opening with metal door to the outside accessing a modern army sangar (removed 2003). The wall steps back ending the bastion before meeting the arched entrance of number 40.

This section of wall passing under the building has a brick lined opening with metal door to the current dog pound on the exterior. The continuation of the wall to the south of building 40 becomes part of the inner wall of number 34 (HB01/09/002 V) until it meets the central bastion.

Central bastion. At the rear of the central bastion the wall steps up by 3 metres and curves around defining a yard before dropping to two ashlar sandstone gate posts. These are topped by chunky shallow pyramidal copings. Inside the courtyard a concrete floor with central drain has evidence of timber framed buildings now removed. Three unblocked rifle holes are located opposite the gate. A central building bisects the bastion dividing it into two courtyards. The building (number 31) has 4 brick lined openings, two blocked and two with surviving six over six sashes to the north side. Central wide sheeted door with sandstone architrave. Unusual slit windows with sandstone surround directly above. Natural slate roof to building. PVC rainwater goods.

Outside, the curve of the inner bastion wall continues rising to form a parapet for building 31 with a central brick lined sheeted door below. (The brick forms a stepped gibsian architrave). Beyond to the south a stone lined doorway opens into the second courtyard. 8 former rifle holes are blocked up along the boundary. The ground is made of gravel. The south elevation of building 31 has two sash openings bricked up and four high level slit windows (one bricked up). One 16 pane casement with concrete head and cill is located to the eastern end of the block. The return of bastion has 3 bricked up rifle openings. A large opening has been cut open in the inner wall of the bastion to create a gate flanked by concrete brick gateposts.

Beyond the bastion to the south, the boundary wall drops with the slope of the road to the original exit gates, which are of ashlar sandstone with shallow pyramidal coping as found elsewhere on the base. The opening has been bricked up with concrete bricks. Beyond, the wall carries on horizontally to the south west bastion. The large retaining wall curves round from the parade ground to the exit gate. Beyond to the south, the steep slope is planted with rhododendrons and an 800 mm high retaining wall flanks a flight of concrete steps to the Barrack master’s house (No 17: HB01/09/002 I).

South west bastion. This forms the garden of the Barrack master’s house and has six bricked up gun emplacements and a central metal door (with concrete brick surround) facing the river. The boundary wall carries on past the return of the bastion to the 1870s extension of the base (not part of scheduled monument) but has been demolished further on. The southern return wall has 3 bricked up rifle openings before it meets building 22 (WO and Sergeants’ Mess). To the north, the matching wall enclosing the garden has a flat concrete coping and no openings.

To the riverside, the wall is battered and the square rifle holes noted on the interior are vertical slots a single brick wide. The ground in front of the fort sits out on a flat plateau before dropping to another and then dropping again before rising to the railway line at the river’s edge. The remains of a path between the front exit and the river’s edge can be discerned. There is no tunnel under the railway line to the river’s edge. The remains of an assault course are parallel to the fort along this position. A sangar outside the north west bastion is protected in front by a curving concrete wall. Beyond the south west bastion, the original wall is replaced by a higher profiled metal security fence which rises to the nearby roundabout.

Historical information

The walls are part of the original design and construction of the fort. They have been altered in a minor way since, to give access to the land to the west (doors in the north and south bastions). Original defensive loops for rifles have been bricked up. (Probably as part of the alterations and expansion of the late nineteenth century). Openings have been made to access the stores (building 35) to the west of the wall and part of the inner wall of the central bastion has been opened up (presumably to allow boat storage). On the 1854 map there is no building on the central bastion and a small building is indicated at the corner of each bastion (both now gone). On the 1873 map. A dividing wall is indicated on the central bastion and two small buildings (neither now surviving) at the northern end of the bastion and the north western end of the new wall. By 1904 the current building in the central bastion has been constructed and 3 adjoining small buildings (now gone) to the south. In 1955, there are nine buildings in the central bastion. Two of these are indicated on the recent site map and must have been recently removed. We were informed that these buildings functioned as the harbour master’s office during World War II but have been unable to substantiate this comment.

Under the walls to the north the made up ground of the fortifications may cover the earlier remains of the siege fortification of Col O’Neills cannon battery from the 1690’s.

References-
Primary sources

Ordnance Survey Maps 1831, 1854, 1873, 1904, 1933, 1955
O’Hagan’s Map of Londonderry 1847
Derry Journal 6th April 1841 ‘Notice to Builders’

Secondary sources
History of Ebrington Barracks (Anonymous, circa 1970’s) EHS files
Site officer 2003.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Western stone riverside defences of the original star fort constructed around Ebrington Barracks in the 1840s made from whinstone (local schist) with sandstone and brick trims.

The key visible remains of the original ‘star fort’ defences of Ebrington Barracks largely unchanged since construction. Of architectural interest for their appearance and relationship to the rendered buildings and parade ground behind. The plan, though an adaptation of a standard type for the period, has been carefully designed to cope with the steep drop to the river’s edge while maintaining a defensive appearance. Historically it is of interest as the only star fort from the mid nineteenth century constructed in Northern Ireland and as a late development in military fort planning. Its symbolic value to the city across the river is of note and the involvement of the base in the Second World War and subsequent submarine training.

It is considered appropriate to protect this structure as a scheduled historic monument .