Culmore Fort

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A random rubble built stone fort, four storeys high, approximately eight metres by seven metres at ground level externally. The top of the external walls are crenellated with a pyramidal slated roof structure set behind the battlements. A single storey crenallated porch projects from the south east wall with blocked up doorway. The porch is not quite centred on the wall. The walls are built with a slight batter which is more pronounced on the bottom storey. There appears to be a difference in the stonework to the projecting porch and the top storey from the remainder of the fort walls. (evidence of rebuilding?) On the south east wall above the porch is a blocked up vertical rectangular opening which may have provided light to the mural stair or passageway internal to the wall. Above it is a row of drainage holes from the access way behind the battlements.

The south west side has a single narrow doorway at ground floor level approximately in the middle of the wall. The almost flat head has a lintol of vertically placed stones above a flattish segmental relieving arch. Higher up the wall above the door a narrow slit and above that a row of drainage holes. There is also a rainwater trunk head with round metal downpipe. The battlements are repeated. Here there are four embrasures while on the south east there are five.

The north west wall side of the fort has no openings except for the drainage holes and battlements.

The north east wall has a boarded up opening at ground floor in the middle of the wall and above at first and second floor level a three light Tudor style window with sandstone cill, head, sides and mullions. The head of each light is pointed. Sandstone member chamfered. All openings have vertically placed stone flat arches. Again the row of drainage channels are repeated and battlements are above. A trunk head and downpipe are fixed to this wall.

Behind the battlements a stone built structure with natural slated roof with lead hips, half round metal gutter and downpipes. There is an access passage round this structure.

The fort is prominently sited on the point of land where Culmore Bay narrows before the River Foyle pours into Lough Foyle.

Historical information

There is speculation as to whether the plantation fort was preceded by a mediaeval structure or the Elizabethan expedition of 1566/7 established it. Docwra in 1600 established a base here and Sir Thomas Phillips records a Raven’s illustration of the Culmore fort in his publication of Londonderry and the London Companies 1609-1629. The fort was ruined in the escapades of 1688/9 and remained in a ruinous condition until reconstructed by General Hart in 1780s. A garrison was based in the fort up till 1688 as the original chapel (Holy Trinity Church of Ireland) built in 1687 was for the convenience of the military staff.

Anderson McCausland, occupant of Culmore House in 1830 carried out repairs to the fort. In 1858 it is referred to as a coastguard station in Griffiths Valuation of 1858. The coastguards were withdrawn by the Admiralty in 1870.

The fort is presently used by the Culmore Yacht Club and remains in the ownership of the Honourable the Irish Society. Before 1860 Culmore Fort and 300 acres of land attached to it were allotted to the governors of the Fort. The last governor was the Earl of Strafford who received £200 from the Irish Society on his appointment and the rent from the lands. It is unlikely he set foot in Culmore. When he died in 1860 the fort and lands reverted to the Irish Society. The remains of a moat can easily be discerned west and north of the fort. It is overgrown and much of the land contained within it has been built upon.

The fort is a scheduled monument No. LDY 14A.1 and the moat LDY 14A.5.

References:

Primary Sources:
OS Map 1ST Edition 1830 Co Londonderry sheet 14
OS Map 2nd Edition 1853 Co Londonderry sheet 14
OS Memoirs Volume 1Parish of Templemore(1837) p.35, p.36, p.237

Secondary Sources
Historic Monuments Records : Survey dated 7 Sept 1996 J D/ J O K
Lewis Topographical Dictionary
J S Curl, The Londonderry Plantation 1610-1914 p.38 p414
Phillips Sir Thomas, Londonderry and the London Companies 1609-1629 Plate 4 p.17, p.150
Occupier (1999) , 86 Culmore Point Road.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A most important and interesting remains of pre and post plantation activities in the Culmore area of 16th 17th 18th and 19th centuries. The building resembles a low tower house structure in a prominent and salient position on the River Foyle and the moat represents a significant record of the early 17th century fortification.