Survey Data
Reg No
40815006
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social
Original Use
Bridge
Date
1830 - 1870
Coordinates
234395, 432440
Date Recorded
12/09/2008
Date Updated
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Description
Quay and retaining wall, built c. 1850. Located on the eastern shore of the Crana River close to the point where it discharges into Lough Swilly\Buncrana Bay. Constructed of rubble stone masonry (large irregular rubble stone blocks) with slight batter to base. Roughly dressed rubble stone coping to edge with squared rubble stone quoins to the corners. Tarmacadam deck in use as car park. Some remaining cast-iron rope tie-rings to coping to edge of pier. Rubble stone retaining wall to the south. Double-arched bridge, c. 1800, to the south carrying road over small stream having roughly dressed quoins to arches and rubble stone construction. Detached single-bay single-storey structure to site, possible originally a gate lodge associated with Buncrana Castle (see 40815001) or a former winch house, having pitched natural slate roof, squared rubble stone walls, square-headed window openings (now blocked) having cut stone sills, and with square-headed doorway to the east elevation having replacement timber door. Set on the eastern side of the mouth of the Crana River, to the south-east of Buncrana Castle and to the north-west of Buncrana town centre.
Appraisal
This well-built if utilitarian quay wall was probably originally built during the mid-nineteenth century. It retains its early form and character, and is an element of the extensive marine and maritime heritage of Buncrana. It was probably originally built to facilitate the local fishing industry as it is only reachable at high tide, and only by small-scale craft. The cast-iron rope ties to site add to the context. The simple double-arched road bridge to the south is an earlier structure, perhaps built c. 1800. Its small scale arches with roughly dressed voussoirs creates a picturesque, if unassuming, feature along the quay wall. The small single-storey structure to the pier was either built as a gate lodge serving Buncrana Castle (see 40815001) to the north-west, or as a winch house or other such structure associated with the local fishing industry. It is well-built using unusually large blocks of rubble stone masonry, and it retains much of its early character despite now being out of use with the windows blocked. This quay adds to the attractive seascape at Buncrana, and is a modest addition to the built heritage of the local area.