Carrickhugh Station

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Red brick derelict station house and train shed with yellow brick trims and quoins on the ground floor. Building adjacent to the main Derry to Belfast line. Stone edged platform beside line on northern side of building. North elevation four bays wide and two storeys high on main part. Fifth bay over ticket office to west. Three bay blank wall forms continuation of engine shed to west. Toilets abut building to east. Semi-circular arches to ground floor windows, frames all gone. Yellow brick string course at first floor. First floor windows rectangular, frames gone, no yellow bricks around openings or at quoins. Red brick a slightly different shade from ground floor suggesting a later construction date. Roof natural slate, decorated exposed ends of rafters. Two stage brick chimney on each gable.

West gable of train shed in bad condition. Decorative barge falling apart. Tall slot opening for train.

South elevation has single platform height opening to train shed (about one metre above ground) trimmed in yellow brick and with segmental head. Two projecting corbels 1.5m from base align on either side of door. Gabled return in centre of main station house two storeys high but lower than the main roof. Decorative barge, central window with remains of Victorian spaced six pane sash (i.e. central pane wider). Plinth course along elevation at platform level. Yellow brick top, whinstone below. Ruined whinstone single storey projection from end of return. Yellow bricks around openings and quoins. Structure a lean-to. Public entrance to west of return through arched opening as north facade.

East gable blank with decorative barge board. Slides taken of metal sign to east of station, and a mile post further along track to east.

Historical information

Marked on 1848 Ordnance Survey Map with branch line to south side carrying on to Carrickhugh Corn Mill (HB02/02/006). Part of the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway which opened on the 29th of December 1852, and later expanded into the Midland Railway before becoming N.I.R. Architect possibly John Lanyon who designed most of the stations on the line. The building is similar in detail to Magilligan Halt (HB02/09/018) and Bellarena Station (HB02/09/041) both by Lanyon in Magillligan Ward. J.R.L. Currie’s books ‘The Northern Counties Railway’ Volumes 1 & 2, do not refer to the station or branch line. The 1858 Griffith’s Valuation records no railway building in the townland only 203 lin. Perches of track. It seems that as shown in other places (e.g. Dungiven Branch of 1888) the 1848 map included a proposed railway before it was built. The building labelled as a station on the map is much smaller than that constructed. Construction may not have been until the 1870s as at Magilligan. The 1923 survey shows the present station and branch line. The station is marked also as a post office. It is likely that the fortunes of the station were closely linked to those of the nearby mill complex (HB02/02/005 & 006) and that the building was still operating as a post office during the 1950s. The post office was then transferred to Townley’s post office (HB02/03/026). The station was sold to Mrs Steele in 1959. It is presently owned by the owner of the mills and surrounding farm.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A derelict station building exhibiting details typical of other stations on this line. Nicely considered elevation with stepping down decorative barges. Interesting for the surviving interior detail which unlike the other buildings seems untouched. Part of a group of similar buildings along the line, but also an important part of the industrial complex at Carrickhugh. Of local interest for its association with the development of the Carrickhugh complex which exploited its location close to the railway to continue its production while more remote mills declined.