Former railway overbridge, Drumbane Road, Gortaclare, Dungiven, Co Londonderry

This is a substantial sandstone overbridge dating to the later 19th century, built as part of the Limavady to Dungiven Railway line. It is a good example of the railway infrastructure of the period and possesses local interest.

The bridge is a single arch constructed of well-built rockfaced sandstone with tooled margins to the bold voissoirs. The segmental arch springs from high vertical walls, and the short parapet lengths (approximately 7 metres) return at each end. These returns feature dropped vertical faces leading to 45-degree sloping buttresses on both sides of the bridge and the railway cutting. The buttresses are battered, contrasting with the straight vertical faces of the supporting walls, and the stonework is largely rockfaced, with some snecked elements. The parapet wall is 1.2 metres high and topped with a hogsback concrete coping, with a width of 6½ metres between the parapets. The railway trackbed remains intact, with side drains, though the sleepers and rails have been removed.

The railway line itself was first proposed in 1862, with the Skinner’s Company undertaking extensive reconstruction in the 1870s. The Limavady/Dungiven Railway Act received Royal Assent on 4th July 1878. John Lanyon, son of the renowned architect Sir Charles Lanyon, served as engineer for the project. Construction of the line was contracted to McCrea and McFarland in April 1880 for £39,438. The railway opened for passenger and goods traffic on 4th July 1883, and the bridge was likely completed the previous year. The Drumbane Road, which rises to cross the railway line at the bridge, is narrow. High hedges obscure the bridge structure from view. The structure represents an interesting example of industrial archaeology.