Aghyaran Bridge,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four-span road bridge (two to south are flood arches), built c.1850, carrying Church Road over River Derg. Ashlar stone piers and abutments; coursed rubble spandrels and parapets; ashlar stone string-course to carriageway level; saddleback stone coping to parapet. Ashlar stone V-shaped cutwaters to piers. Two segmental-headed arches with ashlar stone voussoirs. Arch soffits are rubble stone. Rubble retaining wall (partially fallen away) continues at south to two semi-circular flood arches; coursed rubble piers, spandrels and parapet (partially fallen away); arch soffits are cement rubble stone; some repair carried out to rubble abutments. The carriageway is approximately 6m wide.

The bridge is located on a rural road to the west of Castlederg village, directly to the south of Aghyaran Methodist Church (HB10/01/004); riverbank bounded to either side by wire fencing and hedging.

Roof N/A
Walling Coursed rubble stone
Windows N/A
Rainwater goods N/A

Historical information

The bridge first appears on the second edition OS Map of 1853 captioned ‘Aghyaran Br’. A Catholic church of similar date (HB10/01/002) is shown nearby.

The bridge can be dated from the mid-nineteenth century, indicated by sophisticated stonework detailing and relatively large span of the segmental-headed arches; the semi-circular stone flood arches to the south are less ornamental but the similar stonework to these shows that the bridge was built in a single stage. The bridge has undergone a series of minor stonework repairs through the years but nothing substantial.

McCutcheon describes the bridge as ‘worthy of attention’. (p.42)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/23/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/23/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/23/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1905)

Secondary Sources

1. McCutcheon, W.A. “The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland,” London: 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

Evaluation

A four-span bridge, built c.1850, carrying Church Road over River Derg. This attractive bridge is well detailed with decorative ashlar stone dressings at the voussoirs and cutwaters. The relatively large span of the arches places it as a structure of some engineering merit. Despite minor repairs to the stonework in places, the bridge still contributes positively to the local landscape and occupies a picturesque site directly to the south of Aghyaran Methodist Church (HB10/01/004).