Castlederg Bridge,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four-span road bridge, built c.1835, carrying Castlegore Road over River Derg. Ashlar sandstone abutments, spandrels and piers; ashlar sandstone string-course to carriageway level; ashlar sandstone parapet walling, rubble to carriageway interior; rounded sandstone coping which terminates to north in square piers with flat sandstone coping. Four segmental-headed arches with cut stone voussoirs (that to south is smaller); rounded V-shaped ashlar cutwaters to piers. Arch soffits are cement rendered. Abutments splay at ends; this encloses stone stair to south-east and south-west providing access to riverbank; that to south-west has replacement roughcast walling surmounted by steel handrail; that to south-east retains original wrought-iron railing. The carriageway is approximately 8m wide with footpath to west.

Rubble parapet wall continues to south to form boundary wall to riverbank; further two small segmental-headed flood arches to south with cut stone voussoirs; arch soffits are cement rendered. At east side, flood arches extend beneath carpark above; extension constructed in random rubble; soffits reinforced by corrugated metal. Further remains of rubble walling to south-west. At north, recent rubble retaining wall extending to east and west creates walkway at carriageway level; steps down to riverbank.

The bridge is located on the main road into Castlederg, directly south of Main Street; urban development to north; residential houses and modern church to south.

Roof N/A
Walling Ashlar sandstone
Windows N/A
Rainwater goods N/A

Historical information

A bridge is present on the 1833 map, uncaptioned. The 1853 map captions it ‘Castlederg Br.’

OS Memoirs report on the construction of the bridge, “Castlederg Bridge, at present building, is 168 feet long and the roadway will be 30 feet broad. It is to consist of 4 arches. At present only the piers are finished [Insert note: the old bridge was taken down on account of its being too narrow and steep on each side. One of the stones taken out of it is said to have the year 1613 marked on it, but I could not find the stone.] The architect has contracted to build it for 700 pounds, of which Sir Robert Ferguson pays 100 pounds. The remainder is to be paid in 6 installments by the county.” (p.139)

Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary gives some of the background to the construction of the bridge, “The town is indebted for its origin to Sir John Davis, attorney-general for Ireland to Jas. I., to whom a grant of 2000 acres of land, then called Gartertagh, was made in 1609, on which Sir John, prior to 1619, built a castle and established 16 British families, he also erected a stone bridge over the river Derg, adjoining the castle, which, being the first built over that river, gave the town the name of Derg-Bridge, by which it is still frequently called…The bridge erected by Sir John Davis remained till 1835, when it was taken down, and a handsome bridge of hewn stone, of four arches, has been erected.”

A date of 1835 is supported by the styling and ornamentation of the bridge. The existing parapet wall to the south of the bridge may be the remains of the original seventeenth century bridge; this wall is constructed of random rubble with little ornamentation. Although it has been repointed, it may be an indication of an earlier structure.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/16/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/16/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/16/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone I, 1821, 1823, 1833-36, Vol. 5.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1990.

Secondary Sources

1. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

A substantial four-span bridge, built c.1835, carrying Castlegore Road over River Derg. This decorative sandstone bridge is well proportioned and detailed in ashlar stonework; stone steps to south provide access to the riverbank. The structure extends to the south to two further flood arches, which have since been extended. The bridge, built to replace the original seventeenth-century structure, is an excellent example of mid-nineteenth century engineering work and is an important structure both in its immediate context and the wider setting of Castlederg.