Railway Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This brick-and-stone bridge carries a minor two-lane road over the former Derry Central Railway immediately south of the former Aghadowey Station (HB03/03/021 - Record Only)
Except for its orthogonal brick soffit, the bridge is of quarried rubble basalt throughout. The abutments have rusticated and margined quoins which are topped with a string course; however, the latter does not run through the arch at spring level. Just beyond the abutments are shallow tapered abutments with similarly detailed quoins.
The arch is of semi-elliptical profile with five soldier courses of brick forming its arch ring. The span of the arch is such that it accommodated two lines of track – the main line on the down (NW) aide, and a siding on the up side (at SE).
The parapets are coped with very large roughly hewn sandstone copings. The road is embanked up to each end of the bridge. The disused railway line is now completely overgrown with trees hereabouts.

Setting
The bridge has woodland to its east and south, fields to west, and the former Aghadowey Station (HB03/03/021 - Record Only) to its immediate north.

Schedule:
Rubble basalt abutments
Sandstone parapets
Brick soffits

Historical information

The former Aghadowey Railway Station lies on the Derry Central Railway (DCR) which ran between Magherafelt and Macfin Junction. It was designed by James Barton, the DCR’s architect/engineer. A contract for its construction, along with stations at Maghera, Upperlands, Kilrea, Garvagh and Macfin, was signed with Messrs Dixon & Co in April 1879. The station and line opened in February 1880.
The line was worked by the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway as it connected its Belfast-Londonderry line near Coleraine with its Antrim-Cookstown Branch at Magherafelt.
This station complex is depicted on the 1904 OS 25-inch map; it is also on the 1852 six-inch map, but the line is obviously a later amendment of the original plate as it did not exist at the time of the 1850s’ survey.
The BNCR acquired outright possession of the DCR’s assets in 1901 and was in turn taken over by the Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee) in 1903. This company was reconstituted as the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee) in 1923. At nationalisation in 1949, the line was taken over by the Ulster Transport Authority. All services on the Kilrea-Macfin section of the line were axed in 1950 and the station closed. It was eventually converted to the present house.

References - Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/5/11/2, Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11 (1852).
2. PRONI OS/10/5/11/16/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11-16 (1904).
3. PRONI VAL/11/103. Valuation note book (1913).
4. PRONI OS/10/5/11/16/2. Second edition OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11-16 (1923).
5. OS/11/31/6/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, IG sheet 31-06 (1973).

References – Secondary sources:
1. J.R.L. Currie, The Northern Counties Railway, vol.1, p.173 (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1973).
2. S. Johnson, Johnson’s Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland, p.107 (Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1997).
3. W.A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, p.173 and plate 39.2 (Belfast: HMSO, 1980).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A single-arched brick-and-stone road bridge of late 1870s date over the former Derry Central Railway located to the immediate south of the former Aghadowey Station (HB03/03/021 - Record Only). A good and intact example of a well executed utilitarian railway bridge, with a modicum of embellishment. It is also of interest for its brick arch soffit, reflecting the later 19th century progression from stone to brick as well as being of local historical interest as a tangible reminder of the former railway.

General comments

Previously recorded as HB03/03/042.
Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply.