Brickhill Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This triple-arched masonry bridge carries the Coleraine – Kilrea road over the Agivey River.
It is constructed of squared basalt blocks laid randomly. There are curved pointed cutwaters at the up and downstream ends of both piers, rising to arch spring level. Shallow pilasters rise up to the top of the parapets from the piers and abutments. A dressed string course wraps around the quoins, runs through the arches at arch spring level and also continues around the tops of the cutwaters. The three equi-sized arches are of segmental profile, with rusticated voussoirs and brick soffits.
There is also a rusticated and margined string course along the base of the parapets. The parapets are coped with rounded sandstone blocks and terminate in out-projecting piers with sandstone caps. An inscribed stone in the middle of the road face of the upstream (west) parapet reads: “Designed by/ Stewart Gordon Esq CE/ Executed by/ Edward Toy and Son/ Contractors Londonderry/ 1855”.
There are modern steel plaques at NE and SW giving the bridge’s name and river which it crosses.

Setting
The bridge lies in open countryside, surrounded by fields.

Schedule:
Basalt construction
Sandstone dressings

Historical information

An uncaptioned bridge is shown at this location on the 1831 OS six-inch map, but there is no explicit note of it in the 1836 Ordnance Survey Memoir for Agivey. There is, however, mention of a ‘Brick Kiln Bridge” on the road to Kilrea and this is probably the same structure as the uncaptioned bridge shown on the map, and which is close to ‘Potters field’. However, it is explicitly captioned as Brickhill Bridge on the 1853 OS map.

A plaque on the parapet of the present structure notes that it was designed by Stewart Gordon, County Surveyor for Londonderry, and built by Edward Toy & Son 1855. It is evidently a replacement of the previous bridge and was undoubtedly financed under the Grand Jury Presentment system.
Subsequent OS maps continue to cite the replacement bridge as Brickhill Bridge.

References - Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/5/12/1, First edition OS six-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 12 (1831).
2. OS Memoir for Agivey Parish (1836). Reprinted as A. Day & P. McWilliams (eds), Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Parishes of County Londonderry VI, 1831-6, North-East Londonderry, p.43 (Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1993).
3. PRONI OS/6/5/12/2, Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 12 (1853).
4. Plaque on bridge (1855).
5. PRONI OS/10/5/12/13/1, First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 12-13 (1904).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A triple-arched stone and brick road bridge of 1855. This bridge is of architectural merit because of its rusticated voussoirs, pilasters, string courses, sandstone parapet copings and brick soffits. It is also of local historical interest in having an attested designer, erector and date of construction. It enjoys an unspoiled rural setting.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; and S - Authenticity also apply.