10 Station Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An elongated red brick former railway station converted to dwelling house. The building consists of a centre 2 storey part and single storey on either side, all being of equal width. The 2 storey part, 3 bays with narrow 2 storey outshot on the W side, was the former station master’s house. The principal entrance is on the S flank wall of the outshot which has been refaced with modern red brick and raised a storey with modern window insets. While other openings have remained relatively unchanged the windows all have been updated. One chimney has been retained with a very tall decorated chimney pot. Another has been truncated on the S single storey part and 2 new chimney stacks built on the 2 storey. An additional door has been created on the west side on the N single storey wing and finished with a slated bracketed canopy. The brickwork has been renewed where the former opening was wider. The roof of this part has been reroofed with asbestos slates and a Velux rooflight fitted. With the exception of the outshot the fascia and soffits have been retained including the shaped exposed purlins.

The crested red tiled ridge on the S wing is retained. On the plat form side (east side) most openings are retained. There is a store and garage at the south and with access along the former platform.

The former brickwork built in Flemish bond is all retained including the decorative blue grey brickwork over segmented heads and string courses.

Guttering and downpipes changed to grey PVC. On the whole the scheme is reasonably successful in retaining the former character.

The house is at right angles to Station Road with a narrow approach to the entrance porch which continues on to form a garden area beyond where there is a fine birch tree. The permanent way has been filled in and the goods access developed for residential use. The signal box which was outside the site of the present owner was to the north and is demolished.

Historical information

The station was the terminus of the Limavady to Dungiven railway line. Tenders were accepted for stations at Ardmore, Derryork, Drumsurn and Dungiven on April 1883 form Silo and Matthews of Belfast. The line opened for passengers and goods traffic on 4th July 1883 but the stations were not completed till the end of that year.

Charles Lanyon of Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon was engineer and architect for the entire project. He was the son of Sir Charles Lanyon, who was also a director of the railway. Temporary sheds were used until such times as the stations were completed. I H R No. 1433.

References

Primary Sources
O.S. Map 1905 Londonderry sh. 25 5 to 1 ml.

Secondary Sources
Curried The Northern Counties Railway Vol. 1845-1903 p. 189-197

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An interesting example of a small rural railway station terminus, now converted to a dwelling house in the midst of modern residential development. The form and materials of the former station have been retained for the most part but the introduction of the rustic redbrick on the outshot is a blemish. The character of the site is also retained even though much of the paraphernalia of the workings are gone.