Dispensary + Cottage, 238/240 Seacoast Road, Bellarena, Limavady, Co Londonderry

This is a well-preserved example of a traditional cottage-style dispensary and attached residence, built in a Gothic style. The building dates from around 1840, likely constructed on the Bellarena estate, although its construction is not documented in the 1835 Ordnance Survey Memoirs. Local records suggest it was erected following a serious outbreak of infectious disease, highlighting the need for a medical facility closer to Magilligan than Limavady. The building is a single storey and comprises a dispensary and a cottage arranged in a linear layout, with the attached cottage situated at the southern end. The dispensary portion has a higher ceiling than the cottage, and its roof is higher and more prominent, covered in slate. The dispensary has a separate entrance, marked by an original sign panel above the door, accompanied by four bays incorporating three pointed casement windows; one serves as a waiting area, and two face the surgery, which is located within the gable end and features a chimney. A second chimney is present in the waiting area. The cottage has a symmetrical facade featuring a central entrance door flanked by small, pointed windows with diamond panes. Both the dispensary and cottage are rendered in roughcast and have slated roofs. The building stands at an angle to the road, creating a visually attractive, low-lying rural composition, enhanced by a simple, hedged garden. The dispensary continues to operate as a doctor’s surgery two days per week. The current tenant of the cottage has resided there for 60 years.