Limavady’s Path Below is a timeline showing Limavady Heritage Trail sites in their historical context. Limavady Railways Through History Those featured in this guide are highlighted. Heritage Trail

BC C1st C5th C7/8th C12th C13th C17th C1st C12th C12th C12th C13th C1stBC 2500BC C7th/C8th C5th/C12th C5th/C12th C5th/C12th C5th/C12th C5th/ C12th C17th/C19th BLACK FORT WHITE FORT KING’S FORT 4500-2500BC ROUGH FORT TAMNIARIN FORT TAMNIARIN TANDRAGEE FORT TANDRAGEE DUNGIVEN CASTLE DUNGIVEN PRIORY ST AIDAN’S CHURCH BOVEVAGH CHURCH BOVEVAGH CARNANBANE TOMB AUGHLISH STONE CIRCLE BANAGHER OLD CHURCH DRUMCEATT ASSEMBLY SITE ASSEMBLY DRUMCEATT BROIGHTER HOARD FIND SPOT Railways

C18th C19th C18th C18th C18th C18th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th LARGY BRIDGE CARRICK MILLS GALVIN SCHOOL GALVIN SAMPSON’S TOWER RITTER’S GENERATOR DRUMCOVITT HOUSE PAUPER’S GRAVEYARD PAUPER’S THE RHELLICK, KILLEEN TANNYRANNY CHURCH TANNYRANNY Map of local railway lines in 1947. Courtesy of National Museums Northern Ireland KILHOYLE LIME WORKS LIMAVADY WORKHOUSE LIMAVADY DRUMSURN OLD CHAPEL BALLYKELLY OS BASE TOWER BALLYKELLY LOUGHERY’S SCUTCHING MILL LOUGHERY’S BALLYDONEGAN SWEATHOUSE BALLYDONEGAN In the early 1900s, at the height of the TOWER MAGILLIGAN MARTELLO

Irish railways, almost everyone lived C19th C20th WW2 within 5 miles of a railway station.

WW2 WW2 C19th The railways allowed fast and efficient C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C19th C20th C20th C20th transport of goods, speeded up mail

and communication networks, promoted DRUMSURN LARGY PILLARS and created seaside resorts and LARGY SCHOOL AGHANLOO AIRFIELD BALLYKELLY AIRFIELD BALLYKELLY

established standard time. JUNCTION LIMAVADY LARGY POET’S HOUSE LARGY ORANGE HALL OS MARK MAGILLIGAN OS MARK BENBRADAGH From the early 1920s, road and air ST MATTHEW’S GRAVEYARD ST MATTHEW’S BELLARENA RAILWAY STATION BELLARENA RAILWAY DRUMSURN RAILWAY STATION DRUMSURN RAILWAY LARGY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

transport began to replace the railways STATION MAGILLIGAN RAILWAY so that by the end of the 1950s the majority of our local lines had been closed.

The railway tracks have long gone, For more information please contact: and their path through our towns and CAUSEWAY LIMAVADY TOURIST The Causeway Museum Service represents a partnership villages has been interrupted by roads MUSEUM SERVICE INFORMATION CENTRE between the four local authorities of Coleraine, Ballymoney, Limavady and Moyle. This project is part of a three year and other developments. But many T: (028) 7034 7234 T: (028) 7776 0307 community outreach programme supported by the of the station houses, gatehouses, E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Heritage Lottery Fund. piers and bridges still remain. Photography by: Tim Millen and Rachel Cassidy Designed by Tandemdesign.co.uk Londonderry & Magilligan Drumsurn Limavady & Coleraine Railway Station Station Dungiven Railway

Bellarena Station Limavady Station

PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD C19th/20th C19th/20th C19th/20th C19th/20th ACCESS GRID REFERENCE GRID REFERENCE ACCESS Castlerock and Bellarena C7072 3442 C7160 1705 Railway line has stations are still operational been removed TOWNLAND TOWNLAND Craig Maine North ACCESS ACCESS Private. Converted to a Permission private dwelling must be gained from owner

Limavady Junction c1950 Limavady Junction Limavady Station

Construction began on a railway line between Derry and The station house was built in 1873 by The arrival of the railway created a Rapid growth of the flax industry in the The steepest gradient and sharpest curve Coleraine in 1845. Some 22,000 acres of sloblands along John Lanyon as the first station on the bustling village at Drumsurn nearly area led to an increasing demand for both occurred at Drumaduff Moss, where the the southern shore of Lough Foyle were reclaimed to lay Londonderry and Coleraine Railway overnight. Since it is situated halfway fast and efficient export of flax and linen train screeched and scraped along the line the tracks, and tunnels were blasted through the cliffs and remained in use until the early between Limavady and Dungiven, to the large spinning and weaving mills and often got completely stuck. between Downhill and Castlerock. The route remains the 1970s. It has since been renovated and most of the railway workers stayed in of Belfast. Soon after Limavady Station One of the fondest memories of the railway most scenic railway journey in Northern Ireland. converted into a house and apartment. Drumsurn while building the line. opened, plans were begun to extend is of ‘Boyle’s excursion’, an annual Sunday the line towards Dungiven. There were 10 stations along the line at Castlerock, Downhill, Bellarena Station Seen from Duncrun Road the long low Part of O’Connor’s Store was converted School outing organised by Mr Patterson Magilligan, Bellarena, Limavady Junction, Ballykelly, building emphasises and celebrates into a hotel for the men who came from The Limavady and Dungiven Railway Boyle of the Bee Hive Stores. Six or seven Carrichue, Eglinton, Culmore, and Lisahally. Only Castlerock the speed of the train, an effect made miles around looking for work. In order ran mostly parallel to the Castle River, hundred children from all over the countryside and Bellarena remain operational. all the more dramatic by the contrast of to save their boots for digging, many with stations at Ardmore, Drumsurn and were taken to Portrush for the day – for the flat landscape around it. The signal of them walked from as far as Garvagh Derryork. The largest bridge was close many it was their only outing of the year. The Coleraine/Derry line was connected by a four mile box is not original – it was taken from and Kilrea in their bare feet. to Derryork station where the line crossed spur line to Limavady Station. The first train steamed The railway never made a profit and was Cullybackey, renovated, and placed the Gelvin Water, the piers of which into Newtownlimavady – as it was then called – in 1852. The station house was in the heart sold to the Northern Counties Committee on top of the former toilet block – but still stand today. Unfortunately, the station platform was several inches of the village and was provided with it has improved the original design in 1907. Passenger services were withdrawn higher than the bottom of the carriage doors, so the a goods store mainly for transporting of the building. The line opened in July 1883 and in 1933 and from then on, only one goods dignitaries on board had to dismount from the opposite lime from Kilhoyle Quarry. In 1962, open carriages were organised for the train ran daily. The last train ran from side of train onto the track. Hurricane Debbie blew away the store, dignitaries to board the first journey. Dungiven to Limavady on 8th July 1950. along with most of the haystacks Unfortunately, the ladies in their fine Passenger services to Limavady Station ended in 1950, in the area. summer dresses had not accounted for though goods transport continued until 1955. getting covered in soot and smoke.