1 Upper Strabane Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached multi-bay former railway station structure, built c. 1880, located to the north of Upper Strabane Road, Castlederg. The building consists of a single-storey east-west aligned block at west and two-storey gabled block at east.

Roofs are pitched natural slate; terracotta clay ridge tiles to single-storey block; crested ridge tiles and finials to two-storey block; deep overhanging timber sheeted eaves; plain bargeboards supported on timber brackets; mostly replacement UPVC rainwater goods, few cast-iron downpipes and hoppers remaining. Replacement red brick corbelled chimneystacks. Walls are stretcher bonded red brick with contrasting blue brick cill course; segmental-arched-headed hoodmoulds forming continuous string course and projecting plinth. Windows are square headed vertically divided 2/1 timber sliding sashes contained within segmental-headed opening with red brick voussoirs over and projecting masonry cills. Doors are replacement vertically sheeted with same surround as previously described.

South elevation consists of a two-bay single-storey section at left. Left bay contains an entrance door at left; two windows at right. Right bay contains central entrance door with paired windows at each side. Two-storey gabled block at right (east) is one bay wide and contains entrance door at right; window at left; central round-arched-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash window at first floor with round-arched-headed contrasting hoodmould over.

West elevation contains central vertically divided 2/2 sliding sash window contained within round-arched headed opening.

North elevation single-storey block at right contains two windows; two-storey gabled block at left (east) has decorative carved bargeboards and contains two windows at ground floor; central round-arched-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash window at first floor detailed as south elevation.

East elevation is abutted by a series of single- and two-storey extensions; at ground floor a single-storey block with roughcast rendered walling and flat roof is surmounted by two smooth rendered smaller blocks; that which immediately adjoins the gabled block east wall contains a replacement stairwell and is covered by a continuation of the original roof; that at right has a flat roof; all extensions have timber casement windows throughout. Replacement red brick corbelled chimneystack at party wall with two-storey gabled block.

The building is set within the town centre; railway line at north no longer exists and the former railway station structure is now enclosed from garden at north by timber fencing; location of former railway line has now been redeveloped with house situated at east.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Stretcher bonded red brick
Windows Square headed vertically divided 2/1 timber sliding sashes contained within segmental-headed opening with red brick
voussoirs over and projecting masonry cills
RWG Replacement UPVC rainwater goods; few cast-iron downpipes and hoppers remaining.

Historical information

This building dates from c.1880 when it was built as the Stationmaster’s house, offices, stores and waiting rooms for the Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway.

The building first appears on the 1905 OS Map along with the Castlederg and Victoria Bridge tramway and is also shown on the 1905 town plan. A station platform is visible around the building. By the 1939 map the tramway has gone and the building appears somewhat shorter in plan, perhaps due to the loss of the platform. The tramway follows the line of the road to Strabane.

The buildings associated with the tramway are listed in the Annual Revisions fieldbook dating from 1882-90 as a ‘Station house, store, Manager’s house, carriage shed and offices’ valued together at £45 and are occupied by the ‘Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway Co’ who hold them in fee.

Patterson notes that, “The headquarters of the [Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway] Company were based in Castlederg in a substantial building of red brick. Living accommodation for the only stationmaster on the line was in a single bay, two storey section which had abutting ranges of single storey construction that housed offices, stores and waiting rooms…Close to the west end of the station building, a bell hung from a bracket on a post and is believed to have been rung to warn passengers of the imminent departure of a train.” (p.16)

McCutcheon gives some background to the construction of the tramway,“Tangible evidence in the landscape of the former existence of a prosperous roadside tramway in west Tyrone, between Castlederg and Victoria Bridge is limited to the station building at Castlederg.”(p.184)

“Four…narrow gauge railways or roadside tramways constructed independently of the Great Northern system but abutting directly onto it were built in the last quarter of the 19th century. The first of these, the Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway, was opened in 1884, having been constructed under the terms of that peculiarly Irish financial arrangement, generally referred to as ‘baronial guarantee’ by which an agreed rate of interest on government-issued capital was to be repaid over a fixed term by the principal baronies served by the new railway. The Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway had a length of 7¼ miles and linked…Castlederg…with the Derry line of the GNR at Victoria Bridge. The line closed down in 1933.” McCutcheon also comments that the line was “one of the first narrow gauge adjuncts in the Irish railway network to succumb to competition from road transport.” (p.198, 184)

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. PRONI OS/6/6/16/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1939)
5. PRONI OS/8/72/1 – Ordnance Survey Town Plan 1905
6. PRONI VAL/1A/6/16 – Townland Valuation Map
7. PRONI VAL/1/D/6/3 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c.1834)
8. PRONI VAL/1B/626A – Townland Valuation Records (1828-1840)
9. PRONI VAL/2/D/6/5 – Griffith’s Valuation Town Plan (c.1859)
10. PRONI Griffith’s Valuation, printed copy – Union of Castlederg
11. PRONI VAL/12/E/166/1 – Annual Revision Records Town Plan (1904-9)
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/35/6A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Secondary Sources:

1. McCutcheon, W.A. “The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland,” London: HMSO, 1980.
2. Patterson, Dr E M “The Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway”, Newtownards: Colourpoint Books, 1998.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A detached multi-bay single-storey railway station structure, built c. 1880, located to the north side of Upper Strabane Road, Castlederg designed in a typical polychromatic brick style influenced by the writings of John Ruskin. The exterior is well preserved and remains an important example of railway architecture in Co Tyrone. Internally, the station has been subdivided with much of the original internal detailing now removed. The building now stands alone as the original railway at north no longer remains; however, despite much alteration the building remains to contribute positively to the architecture and history of Castlederg.