Londonderry City Walls

Summary

The only complete set of city walls in Ireland — a 17th-century circuit of artillery bastions enclosing the walled city, intact to full walking height above the Bogside and Fountain estates.

About this location

The city walls of Londonderry (Derry) form a complete circuit enclosing the historic walled city on the west bank of the River Foyle. Built between 1613 and 1619, the walls are the last complete set of city walls constructed in Ireland and one of the best-preserved examples in Europe. The circuit is approximately 1.5 kilometres and rises to around 8 metres above the street level of the Bogside to the west.

The wall walk gives access to the bastions — Roaring Meg (a 17th-century cannon), the New Gate, the Bishop’s Gate, and others — with views across the Bogside murals to the west and the river to the east. The internal streets of the walled city are Georgian and Victorian in character, with the cathedral at the centre. The walls themselves are free to walk at any time.

For productions, the walls give a specific visual: complete late-medieval/early-modern artillery fortification in urban use, with modern city life continuing at the foot of the walls. The combination of the Bogside murals visible from the walls and the 17th-century stone creates a political and historical density used in multiple dramas including Game of Thrones (which used Northern Ireland extensively). Permit via Derry City and Strabane District Council.