West Tunnel, Mussenden Road, Castlerock, Co Londonderry, BT51

One of a pair of railway tunnels located between Coleraine and Limavady Junction, built c.1853. The West Tunnel runs through a headland under Mussenden Temple in 283 metre (310 yard) long sweeping curve from the west side of Portvantage Glen to the east end of Downhill Strand. West portal The semicircular-headed western portal, directly below Mussenden Temple at the Downhill Strand end of the tunnel, extends slightly beyond the face of the cliff. It has rusticated and margined abutment quoins and voussoirs; the latter step into the spandrels and have a plain keystone. The abutments merge into sloping buttresses extending beyond the face of the portal. The spandrels and seaward side of the projecting section of the portal are of random basalt blocks, with a rusticated string course over. Above is a low parapet of coursed basalt blocks, the coping of which has mostly been replaced with mass concrete. The extrados of the tunnel, behind the parapet, is covered with grass. A modern metal sign in front of the portal notes the tunnel’s number as 197 and that it is 283.2m long with refuges every 45m along it on its seaward side. The cliff directly above the portal has steel wire netting affixed to it to prevent rocks falling on to the line. Beyond the portal, the line continues westwards in the direction of Londonderry along a raised artificial platform above the shoreline. East portal The portal at the east end of the tunnel is a semicircular-headed arch detailed as the West portal. Its spandrels and parapets are of roughly-dressed random basalt blocks, brought to courses. A dressed horizontal string course runs along the base of the parapet, which is coped with advanced dressed basalt blocks. A modern metal sign in front of the portal notes the tunnel’s number as 197 and that it is 283.2m long with refuges every 45m along it on its seaward side. The cliff directly above the portal has affixed steel wire netting to prevent rock falls. From here, the railway line continues eastwards along a 120m long embankment just above the rocky shore to the west portal of the East Tunnel (HB03/12/031A). Setting The tunnel runs from the tranquil Portvantage Glen through a high sea-washed headland to the east end of Downhill Strand. The ground above forms part of the National Trust’s Downhill Estate. Schedule: Basalt abutments and linings Brick soffits