Fincarn Bridge, Altimure Road, Fincarn, Feeny, Co Londonderry

The Fincarn Bridge is a handsome, three-arch bridge built of random rubble sandstone with ashlar sandstone vaulting in stretcher bond, situated within a pleasing agricultural landscape over the Owenbeg River. Constructed probably in the second half of the 19th century, it likely replaced an earlier bridge. The bridge carries Altinure Road and features vertical supporting walls with a broad, slightly projecting stone band at springing level, extending around the pointed breakwaters. The arches have well-formed voissoirs and a plain horizontal stringcourse runs along the full length of the bridge on both sides. A service pipe is positioned along the downstream side. The parapet walls are 32 metres long, with a 6-metre carriageway between them, and incorporate good hogsback sandstone coping, a slightly pink colour. The parapet height varies slightly, from 800 to 900mm on the upstream side and 1000mm on the other. The arches span approximately 4½ metres and have ashlar sandstone soffits comparable to Derrychier Bridge. The bridge has a slight hump, and the random rubble stonework is also sandstone. Several single corbel stones on the supporting walls indicate their use for formwork centering. The road is straight at the river crossing and is set within pleasant farmland, characterised by hedgerow trees and hedges. An Ordnance Survey map from 1830 and a revised version from 1905 document the bridge’s existence. The bridge is of industrial archaeological interest and holds local historical significance.