Bargain Bottle

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The railway terminus, since the closure of the service, is now divided in various ownerships HB01/11/005A refers to the passenger terminal and associated offices only.

A single storey three bay wide smooth red brick building with gable ends and natural slated roof. Behind and of similar width there is a panelled red brick concourse leading to a double platform. This is roofed over with a pyramidal slated covering and has large glazed rooflight at the apex. It is four bays deep and the same width as front part.

The entrance facade has a symmetrical arrangement of central breakfront trimmed with bold ashlar quoins and a large semi circular headed gateway with keystone and engineering brick label moulding. Above there is an oculus with blue/black brick surround and four keystones. The pedimental gable has moulded brick cornice under sandstone barge. On either side of breakfront, pairs of semi-circular headed windows are set in like recesses with recessed panel below cill and linked engineering brick label moulding. The brick label moulding has a sandstone keystone. There is a splayed sandstone topped plinth. The original double step entrance approach has been extended in non-matching red brick.

The gables are finished similar to breakfront and on the north west gable a former oriel window has been replaced with segmental headed sliding sash to match two other windows.

The brick walls enclosing the concourse are done in large brick panels. Rainwater goods are cast iron with trunkheads where necessary.

The roof slating has been retained as has the crested red ridge tiles. The glazing to the rooflight over the concourse has an additional opaque covering added, presumably to avoid condensation.

Located by the side of River Foyle south of the extremity of the Craigavon Bridge. Ground falls quickly from Victoria Road to the riverside. Formerly there were four railway termini in L’Derry and these were connected by a Harbour Commissioners railway which used the underdeck of Craigavon Bridge. This link railway no longer exists and the underdeck is now a road carriageway. However a roadway links Victoria Road with the underdeck and it is onto this road that the railway terminus now fronts.

Historical information

The Donegal Railway Act 1896 established the County Donegal Railway and received royal assent 7 August 1896. James Barton, engineer who was with Great Northern Railway prepared working drawings and plans. In spring 1898 contract awarded to London firm of Messrs Tophan, Jones & Railton for track and associated works. The station buildings contract was awarded to Messrs Campbell & Son, Belfast. “the Derry terminus was commodious, a well designed building, with a broad island platform roofed for most of its length”. The station opened for passenger traffic on 6 August 1900.

The Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissions built a quayside extension to link station with their cross river line on the Carlisle Bridge later replaced in 1932 by the Craigavon Bridge.

On 1st May 1906 Donegal Railway was taken over jointly by Great Northern and the Midland Railways. From 10 August 1948 the Derry to Strabane line was taken over by Ulster Transport Authority and the service ceased at the end of 1954. The premises were acquired by Messrs O’Neill & McHenry and subsequently by Hunt & McCormick (Bargain Bottle).

IHR-1614:10

References:

E M Patterson, ‘The County Donegal Railways’ 1962

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A well designed example of a late Victorian Railway Station entrance building and concourse and though some minor elements have been changed much remains to give good impression of the original conception. The style, proportion, ornamentation and plans, simple and direct, are good of their kind and the building is of immense interest for the roof construction over the concourse and rooflight. It is of both national and local historical interest.