Derry City Walls

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Cannons on the Derry / Londonderry city walls (with the bogside on the left).
Siege of the city in 1688-89 (with St Columb's Cathedral armed with guns at top left and no. 3)

The city ​​walls of Derry / Londonderry are fortifications on the west bank of the River Foyle around the historic core of the city of Derry / Londonderry . Derry, Northern Ireland's second largest city after Belfast , is considered the only surviving walled city in Ireland and is one of the most striking examples of fortified cities in Europe. The wall divides the city of Derry into the outlying Bogside and The Fountain .

The walls were built in the years 1613-1618 mainly from the ruins of medieval monastery buildings according to plans by the engineer Peter Benson from London and the architect Sir Edward Doddington from Dungiven.

The construction was financed with funds from the Irish Society and individual London businessmen, in accordance with the royal charter of King James I , who received large tracts of land in the Derry area in return. The walls were designed to protect residents (mainly immigrants from England and Scotland ) from attacks by local Irish rebels. Despite the sieges in 1641, 1649 and 1689, Derry's city walls were never destroyed, which speaks for their careful planning and quality.

The walls, equipped with mighty protective structures and angular artillery bastions, are around 1.5 km long. A tourist pedestrian path is laid out along the walls. There are four original gates within the walls: Bishop's Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate. You are at the end of the streets that cross the historic center of the city fortress. Three more gates were added later: Magazine Gate (1865), Castle Gate (1803) and New Gate (1789). The original gates were reconstructed in the 18th and 19th centuries.

  • Map of Londonderry from 1622, with the residence of the Bishop of Derry in the northwest.

  • Walker Plinth

See also

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