Southern Fortifications of 1841 fort, Ebrington Barracks, Limavady Road, Londonderry, BT47 6HH

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The Southern 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 Southern fortifications of the 1841 barracks are discernible for much of their length, though they have been heavily altered. A stretch of the original wall with pigs back coping survives beside building number 71 (HB01/09/002 D). Beyond this to the east, the original south east bastion of the star fort has been removed to facilitate the exit of the base to Limavady Road. To the west of building number 71, the original entrance gate to the base has been removed. Adjacent to building number 10 opposite (HB01/09/002E), the line of the wall reappears. This section, which describes the central bastion of the south wall, has been demolished almost to road level and has been given a hard cement rendering. It is surmounted by a palisade fence (2003). To the west, the wall steps back up to its original height and steps back in from the bastion to the inner line of the wall. This section has lost its original coping and encloses a courtyard between buildings 11 (HB01/09/002F)and 17 (HB01/09/002H). Bricked up gun slits can be discerned. Building 17 extends through the wall southwards and has a more modern courtyard. The original entrance door to the garden of the house in the south west bastion survives in front of the building and has a heavy rusticated stone architrave as similar doors elsewhere on the site. Beyond to the west, bastion returns south and steps downhill to enclose the garden of building 17. To the south of this wall, the Sergeants’ Mess Room abuts. Inside the garden, further blocked up rifle slits can be seen. Beyond to the west, another gate (without rustication) and a metre and-a-half of wall before the corner of the bastion.

Historical information

Remains of the southern section of the original star fort boundary wall of Ebrington Barracks. Indicated on the 1854 Ordnance Survey as a south east bastion, a central bastion and a south west bastion with a road running to the south outside the wall and connecting to Limavady Road. A second curving retaining wall on the other side still remains and is described in HB01/09/002 II . The path ends at the main entrance to the base which was situated between buildings 10 (HB01/09/002E), and 71(HB01/09/002 D). This structure now gone was a sandstone ashlar gate in a triumphal arch form with simple robust detail. The south west bastion as today was the garden for the barrack master’s house (number 17). The central bastion was divided into two yards one for the guard house and one behind the stores. By 1904 the gates had been removed and it is likely that the demolitions behind the stores had also been carried out.

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

The Southern 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.

Important historical remains of the original ‘star fort’ defences of Ebrington Barracks. Of architectural interest for their appearance were surviving and relationship to the rendered buildings and parade ground behind. The plan, though an adaptation of a standard type for the period, was the only star fort from the mid nineteenth century constructed in Northern Ireland and as a late development in military fort planning it is of interest.

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