Drumragh Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A six-span road bridge, built c.1800, carrying Blackfort Road over Drumragh River. Random rubble abutments, spandrels and parapet with some cement repairs and rubble coping. Four round-headed arches with rubble voussoirs over river; replacement ashlar sandstone voussoirs to south arch; V-shaped cutwaters with sandstone quoins to piers; rubble soffits. Wall continues to field to north containing two small arches with rubble voussoirs; some concrete repair work to surmounting parapet.

The carriageway is approximately 6m wide and slightly humped due to slightly larger central arches. Coursed rubble walling to south-west; hedging to south-east.

The bridge is located in rural area; rubble walling encloses Drumragh graveyard to south-west; agricultural land bounded by hedging to north and south.

Roof N/A
Walling Random rubble
Windows N/A
Rainwater goods N/A

Historical information

“Drumragh Bridge” is captioned on the first edition OS map. It is mentioned in the OS Memoirs, “The bridges…over the Drumragh River are the new and the Cranny…all of substantial stonework” (p.20)

McEvoy, writing in 1802 found that, “Roads and bridges are generally well attended to by the gentlemen of the county, many of whom are excellent judges of such public works and take great pains to have them well executed.” (p.118)

McCutcheon confirms this; “At this time, Tyrone was subscribing more money for roads and bridges than any other northern county. Moreover within the county itself building materials were plentiful – basalt, gravel and lime-stone – and this greatly facilitated road construction at a time when transport costs for such heavy, bulky materials were so high.” (p.41)

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS/6/6/43/1-3 – Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1854, 1906)
2. Day, A and McWilliams, P eds. ‘OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone I, 1821, 1823, 1831-36, Vol 5’ Institute of Irish Studies, 1990

Secondary Sources:

1. McCutcheon, W.A. ‘The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland’, HMSO, 1980
2. McEvoy, J ‘County of Tyrone 1802, A Statistical Survey by John McEvoy’, Friar’s Bush Press, 19911

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A four-span road bridge, built c.1800, carrying Blackfort Road over Drumragh River. The bridge is a robust example of early-nineteenth century engineering work, demonstrating simplicity in construction and detail; its size is of note. Historically, it represents the development of the road network in the county.