Railway Crossing House, 18 Tircreven Road, Clooney, Magilligan, Limavady, Co Londonderry, BT49 0LN

This is a pair of semi-detached gatekeeper and railway worker houses located parallel to the railway line at its junction with Tircreven Road, in the townland of Clooney, Magilligan. They were likely constructed between 1860 and 1879 by the Northern Counties Railway, designed by the railway’s chief engineer, Berkeley D Wise. They are the best-preserved of several similar gate houses in the Magilligan area, and share a recognisable ‘house style’ with Magilligan Station (reference numbers HB02/09/018 and HB02/09/041), although designed by a different architect. The buildings align northeast to southwest.

The two-storey central portion of the houses is two bays wide, with a brick chimney at each gable. Single-storey adjuncts, of similar width, extend outwards at each end. A small porch and entrance face the gable of each house. The main block has four windows on each side (two windows to each floor and two to each house). A single window is present in the single-storey blocks, overlooking the railway line on the southeast side only. Smaller windows are positioned on the gable sides of the porches. A cast iron rainwater pipe runs between the houses.

The house closer to Tircreven Road has been renovated, and while the work is generally complementary, some original features have been lost. These include a blue brick band on the chimney details, and the original Victorian 12-pane windows, which have been replaced with 16-pane PVC windows featuring a wide central band. A small conservatory, which is sympathetic in style but less detailed, has also been added to one side of the porch.

The buildings are of industrial archaeological interest and represent a valuable remnant of the Northern Counties Railway.