Bridge in Gortree, County Donegal

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Single-arch bridge carrying road over the former Burton Junction to Letterkenny narrow gauge railway line, built c. 1883. Railway out of use from 1953; side elevations of bridge now largely overgrown. Segmental-headed arch with brick voussoirs (now with roughcast render over) and with brick construction to arch barrel. Squared rubble stone construction to spandrels and to parapets with flush roughly dressed stone quoins to corners of piers below arch springing point. Rubble stone coping to parapets. Single lane tarmacadam deck with grass verges. Roughly squared rubble stone retaining walls aligning former railway cutting. Located to the south-west of Newtowncunningham.

This former railway bridge retains its early form and character despite the closure of the railway line in 1953 and its subsequent disuse. The good-quality mildly rock-faced masonry used in its construction is typical of Victorian railway engineering and architecture in Ireland. Although now largely obscured by vegetation, it survives in good condition, which is testament to the quality of its original construction, and the skill of the masons involved. This bridge was built as part of the Londonderry\Derry (Middle Quay) to Burtonport line, which was originally contrived by the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company. This section, Burt Junction to Letterkenny, was opened in June 1883 by the Letterkenny Railway Company); the Letterkenny to Burtonport section was opened later in March 1903 by the Letterkenny & Burtonport Extension Railway Company. This section of line (Burt Junction to Letterkenny) closed completely in 1953. This line was built to the 3ft narrow gauge. It is similar in form to another railway bridge to the north\north-east (see 40905421). This bridge now acts as an interesting historical reminder of the formerly extensive railway network in County Donegal, and is an integral element of the built heritage of the local area and of the wider transport heritage of the county.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 40905420

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Photo credits

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Kenneth Allen, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Kenneth Allen, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Eeno11, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sitomon, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Alistair Cunningham, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Oliver Dixon, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
N Chadwick, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

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