Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/09/005

Address :
1 Waterside Link Londonderry Co. Londonderry BT47 6DH

Townland:
Clooney

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
21/02/1977 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Tower

Former Use
Tower

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Partially

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OS Map No:
36-8NW

IG Ref:
C4404 1637

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Late-Victorian detached two-storey Ordovician granite and Barony Glen sandstone Italianate-style Railway Terminus. Built in 1873 to designs by John Lanyon. Rectangular on plan with two unequal gable-ended ranges with a connecting modern glass fronted entrance porch; an adjoining square sandstone tower to the South East side and a long terminal structure to the North Side. Principal elevation faces South accessed via a short bitmac avenue approached from the Waterside Link and Duke Street Roundabout, situated on the east bank of the River Foyle. Pitched natural slate roof to main building has terracotta pointed clay ridge tiles; terminus structure to the North side has a pitched slate roof with a raised ventilated glass roof light spanning the length of the structure. Decorative timber fascia and soffit with exposed rafter tails to both gable-end ranges; West side range has a small pitched slated dormer to the right side of ridge; square tower has a hipped slate roof with lead rolled ridges surmounted by a decorative metal weather vane (depicting a steam train) to the centre of roof; moulded cast-iron guttering discharging to square painted cast-iron downpipes to South elevation on both gable-end ranges; uPVC rainwater goods to North side. South facing principal gable-end elevation (to the right side) is of two-storeys, walling is of un-coursed rock-faced Ordovician granite with ashlar corner quoin stones; there are two segmental arched windows on ground floor; first floor level is three bays wide having a semicircular arch window, centred on elevation, flanked by a small narrow segmental arch window to either side, not aligned with windows on ground floor level; all windows are timber sliding sashes with hood moulds terminating onto foliated label stops. Moulded string-course between floor levels has missing section to the right side. There is a small narrow rectangular opening containing a metal vent at apex to attic level. Carved timber fascia and overhanging carved decorative timber ends to purlins exposed at eaves level. A modern metal and glazed entrance porch spans between each gable-end range to south elevation. Left side gable-end elevation is abutted by a single storey flat roof stone outshot having three large semicircular arch window openings on the East wall, outer bays have carved stone heads with an un-coursed blank rubble finish to the South wall; gable-end on first floor has a three-sided canted bay with a stepped cornice and a small semicircular arch window above to attic level; carved timber fascia with overhanging carved decorative timber purlins at eaves level. Three stage square clock tower of Barony Glen sandstone with a clock in each face and carved stone spandrels to upper stage; clock faces with roman numerals were added to the tower in 1888. Paired shouldered vents below clock, with 2 narrow windows and a semicircular arch window to middle stage. Large rounded arch pedestrian gateway to lower stage, arched opening has a moulded stone surround with a sculpted carved stone head, to the right of the tower are a pair of decorative ornate iron gates mounted on stone pillar having Greek ornamented acroterion; matching engaged pillar to tower side of gate. West elevation, which overlooks the former railway track, is of smooth rendered unpainted finish. Ground floor has two square headed window openings flanked by single square headed door openings, all concealed with plywood sheeting. First floor has three square headed windows to the right and a segmental arched window to the left with a raised sill height. Attic level windows are aligned with bays on floor below having three segmental arched bays, all timber sliding sashes with 1/1 panes. Exposed rafter ends to eaves level; moulded cast-iron guttering discharging to a circular cast-iron downpipe. West elevation to the long terminal structure is of smooth rendered (partially) painted finish. Metal roller shutter door to the left end. Remaining elevation is blank with no openings. Beyond the terminal structure aligning the east bank, a red brick retaining wall with segmental arched blind arcade having sandstone cills set just above mid-height within relieved panels and former openings filled with concrete block-work; painted. Segmental arches are formed in soldier coursed brick and the entire wall is topped by one course of curved brick and two courses of billet moulded brick that together form a cornice below the coping. North elevation to west side gable-end is smooth rendered with unpainted finish, there is a single square headed window to first floor and a round arched window to attic level, aligned with first floor bay below, both windows having timber sliding sashes with 1/1 panes. North elevation of long terminal structure is of smooth rendered unpainted finish on ground floor level with a stepped cornice above topped by a metal cheval-de-frise in ornate crested pattern; upper section to gable-end has vertically sheeted timber cladding with decorative carved timber fascia, right side of gable-end is abutted by a yellow-brick bell-cote having red brick and snadstone dressings and topped by a projecting moulded cornice. North elevation to east side gable end is of Ordovician stone, ground floor level is abutted by the long terminal structure; there is a small narrow ventilated opening to attic level. East side of long terminal building has a series of exposed cast-iron columns having decorative capitals. This row of columns is set behind a later slate roofed canopy, and solid plastered walling now spans between each one. Tthere are two segmental arched window bays to the left side flanked by segmental arched doors. All openings have painted rendered band surrounds and are concealed with plywood sheeting. Two large full-height square headed bays to the right side, each having a recessed metal roller shutter and toothed rendered quoins. To either side of these is a smaller opening with surface mounted metal roller shutter. East side elevation to gable-end abutting clock tower has two segmental arched windows on ground floor, left side bay has a hood moulding on foliated label stops. Both windows are timber sliding sashes, left side window has margin panes, right side window lower light has been concealed with timber sheeting. First floor level has a segmental arched window with a hood mould terminating onto foliated label stops having timber sliding sash with 1/1 and margin panes; there is a moulded stone string-course between floor levels; exposed rafter tails to eaves level; moulded cast-iron guttering discharging to a square cast-iron downpipe to the left side. Materials: Roof Natural Slate RWG Cast-iron Walling Stone (Ordovician & Sandstone) / smooth render and vertical timber boarding. Windows Timber Sliding Sash Setting: Located on the East bank of the River Foyle at the base of Bond's Hill, the railway terminus is accessed via a bitmac avenue approached from the Waterside Link Road and Duke's Street Roundabout. Principal entrance faces South via a large arched pedestrian gateway at the base of a square clock face stone tower to the East side of the main terminus building.

Architects

Historical Information

Railway station One of the finest examples in Northern Ireland of railway architecture, the former station in Bond’s Hill in the Waterside was built for the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway Company in 1873-5 to designs by John Lanyon. The contractors were George and John Ferguson at a cost of £5,000 not counting ironwork. The Valuation Revision Books have a new entry for a ‘Terminus & offices (unfinished)’ in 1874. The valuation settled on in 1877 was £300. In 1888 the clock faces were added to the tower which may also have been raised. The building including living accommodation which was in use until the 1970s. The station suffered a great deal in the 1970s. In 1972 the refreshment rooms were destroyed by a bomb, while a further bomb in 1975 resulted in significant damage to the central section. The station was closed in 1980 when a new station was opened nearby. NIEA file records note that the glazed extension was added c.1989. Since its closure in 1980, the station has been used for a variety of purposes including a radio station. In recent years the possibility of bringing the old station back into use as a railway terminus has been discussed. References Primary sources 1. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1933, OS/6/5/14/4 2. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1954, OS/6/5/14/5 3. PRONI, Ordnance Survey map, 1964, OS/6/5/14/6 4. PRONI, Valuation map, c. 1908–c.1918, VAL/12/D/5/14D (based on Ordnance Survey map published in 1907) 5. PRONI, Valuation index map, [c.1873]-1910, VAL/12/E/157/2 6. PRONI, Valuation Revision Books, 1860-1930, VAL/12B/32/14A-K Secondary sources 1. W. S. Ferguson, A. J. Rowan and J. J. Tracey, List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the City of Derry (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970) 2. Alistair J. Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (Harmondsworth, 1979) 3. W. A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland (1984) 4. Avril Thomas (ed.), Irish Historic Towns Atlas, no. 15, Derry~Londonderry (Dublin, 2005) 5. Dan Calley, City of Derry: An Historical Gazetteer to the Buildings of Londonderry (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013) Online sources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects (www.dia.ie)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

T. Historic Importance R. Age S. Authenticity V. Authorship X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Late-Victorian stand-alone two-storey stone railway terminus, built in 1873 for the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway Company to designs by John Lanyon (son of Sir Charles Lanyon). The original structures are well proportioned retaining much of their external character and style including the distinctive Italianate-style square clock tower, a trademark of John Lanyon. Despite bomb damage in the 1970s that resulted in the present glazed central addition, which is adverse to the original character, the tower and railway terminal form an elegant and dignified composition on the prominent East Bank of the River Foyle and provide one of the finest examples of railway architecture in Northern Ireland. The surviving red brick blind arcade that retains the bank, together with a square stone pillar and ornate cast iron gates add significant quality to its setting within an otherwise fairly industrialised urban environment.

General Comments

Date of Survey

23 September 2014