Derry City Walls
The only complete city walls in Ireland
About the walls
Derry's city walls were built between 1613 and 1619 by The Honourable The Irish Society, the consortium of London merchant guilds who took on the Plantation of the city after James I granted them the charter. They enclose the original walled core on the hill above the River Foyle in a mile-long, roughly diamond-shaped circuit. They are the only complete city walls in Ireland and one of the finest surviving examples in Europe.
The walls are between four and twelve metres high and up to nine metres thick at the base, with a continuous parapet walk that today forms one of the great free attractions in Northern Ireland. The four original gates — Bishop's, Ferryquay, Butcher and Shipquay — are still in their 17th-century positions. Three further gates (New, Castle and Magazine) were cut through the walls in the 19th century to ease traffic into what was, by then, a much larger city.
The walls' most famous chapter is the Siege of Derry in 1689, when the Williamite garrison and population held out for 105 days against the Jacobite army of King James II. Cannon from the siege still line the parapet at points around the circuit, with the names of the bastions — Royal, Coward's, Double, Hangman's, Gunner's, Church — intact and signposted.
The walls have been in continuous public use as a walking promenade since at least the 18th century. They are now managed by the Department for Communities as a Scheduled Historic Monument, and the walkway is open day and night, year-round, free of charge.
Essential information
Location
Derry / Londonderry, BT48
Access
24 / 7 open access
Seven gates to start from
Admission
Free
Duration
Full circuit: ~45 minutes walking
With museum stops: 2–3 hours
Length
~1.5 km / one mile circuit
Things to see on the walk
Bishop's Gate & the Cathedral
The southern gate and the most ornate, with a triumphal-arch frontage added in 1789. Inside the walls beside it is St Columb's Cathedral (1633), the first cathedral built in the British Isles after the Reformation.
The Bogside view
The parapet above the Royal Bastion looks down onto the Bogside, with Free Derry Corner and the Bloody Sunday memorials in clear view. A short detour off the walls takes you into the People's Gallery murals below.
The Tower Museum
Built into Magazine Gate, the Tower Museum tells the story of the city from its monastic founding by Colmcille through the Plantation, the siege, and the modern period. Two permanent exhibitions and a roof viewing platform.
Roaring Meg and the siege cannon
A row of cannon mounted on the parapet near Double Bastion includes "Roaring Meg", a piece used during the siege. Plaques explain the bastions and the contemporary names of the cannoneers.
The Guildhall
Just outside Shipquay Gate, the neo-Gothic Guildhall (1890) houses the city's stained-glass collection, free public exhibitions, and a permanent display on the Plantation of Ulster. Worth half an hour.
The Peace Bridge view
From the eastern wall above Shipquay Gate you look down the Foyle to the Peace Bridge (2011), the elegant pedestrian S-curve that links the city to Ebrington on the far bank. Best at golden hour.
Practical tips
Starting point
Any of the seven gates works. Magazine Gate (Tower Museum) and Shipquay Gate (Guildhall) are the easiest if you're new in town — both have signage and good views to orient you.
Guided tours
Several local operators run walking tours of the walls (around 75–90 minutes) covering the Plantation, the siege and the Troubles. Worth the money if it's your first visit to the city.
Accessibility
Most of the wall walk is paved and step-free, with ramped access at Magazine Gate and New Gate. A few sections have steep cobbled approaches.
Footwear
Trainers or comfortable walking shoes — the parapet is mostly flat but some cobbled approaches in the historic streets can be slippery in wet weather.
Photography
Golden hour is best across the Foyle from the eastern parapet. The Bogside murals are most photogenic in flat afternoon light from the Royal Bastion.
Eat & drink nearby
Cafés cluster around Shipquay Street and the Craft Village just inside the walls. Browns Restaurant and the Walled City Brewery (across the Peace Bridge) are evening picks.
If you only have an hour
Enter at Bishop's Gate. Climb the steps to the parapet. Walk clockwise past the Cathedral, the Royal Bastion (Bogside view), Butcher Gate and Magazine Gate, then drop down at Shipquay Gate for a coffee in the Craft Village. That's the highlights run, takes about an hour with photographs.
Pair the walls with the Derry city guide in the journal for the wider context, including the Bogside murals, the Free Derry corner, and the city's modern arts and music scene.
Photo Credits
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash. Full credits on the attributions page.