Derrychier Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 arch stone bridge across the Owenbeg River.

A very well constructed 3 arch sandstone bridge having round breakwaters on the supporting piers. The bridge walls are 1 metre high. There is a broad projecting stringcourse at the springing line which also continues round the breakwaters. The arches are almost semi-circular with large well formed voissoirs. Walls built of squared stones, roughly tooled in sparrowpick style. The soffits of the arches are in sandstone ashlar work in stretcher bond.

Downstream the riverbank is faced with random rubble stonework. The carriageway is 6½ metres wide and the parapets 30 metres long, flaring out to a width of 7½ metres at one end and curving on one side at the other. The bridge crosses the river at right angles causing sharp bends in the road at each end.

The arch span is 5½ metres in each case, the bed of river is concreted. The parapets have large roughly squared coping stones. There are a number of tie rods and patress plates to the bridge, presumably installed in recent decades.

Historical information

This is a bridge of the 2nd half of the 19th cent. A bridge is not shown here on the O.S. Map 1830.
I H R No. 1952

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1830 Londonderry sh. 30
2. O.S. Map 1830 Rev. 1905 Londonderry sh. 30

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A handsome 3 arch sandstone bridge well constructed, partly in squared rubble sandstone and partly in ashlar sandstone. The bridge enjoys a pleasant setting on the Owenbeg River.