Fincarn Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 arch stone bridge carrying the Altinure Road over the Owenbeg River.

A 3 segmental arch bridge with vertical supporting walls which have a broad slightly projecting stone band running round the top at springing level and carried round the pointed breakwaters. The arches have well formed voissoirs and a plain horizontal stringcourse running the full length of the bridge on both sides. A service pipe is carried along the bridge on the downstream side. The parapet walls are 32 metres long with 6 metre carriageway between. Good hogsback sandstone coping, slightly pink in colour. The parapet height varies a little from one side to the other, 800/900 mm on upstream side, 1000mm on the other. The arches span 4½ metres approximately and have ashlar sandstone soffits similar to Derrychier bridge (HB02/05/019). The bridge has a slight hump and the random rubble stonework is in sandstone. There are several single corbel stones on the supporting walls which would have been for formwork centering.

The road is straight at the river crossing and is situated in pleasant farmland with lots of hedgerow trees and hedges.

Historical information

The bridge construction is probably 2nd half of the 19th cent and would have replaced an earlier bridge.
I H R No. 1964

References

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A handsome segmental 3 arch bridge built in random rubble sandstone with ashlar sandstone vaulting in stretcher bond sited in pleasing agricultural landscape over the Owenbeg River.