Columb's Park – Peace Bridge – Guildhall – Derry City Walls – Ebrington Square Circular
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Derry is basically a new town; it's just that it was created in the 1600s. The English set Derry up as a 'Plantation', funded by the London Merchant Guilds and laid it out in a grid pattern, which was subsequently much copied in the colonies of British North America. They also added the prefix London and the city became Londonderry. The Siege of Derry in 1689 was a defining moment in its history.
Derry is characterised by its distinctively hilly topography. The River Foyle forms a deep valley as it flows through the city, making Derry a place of steep streets and sudden, startling views. The original walled city of Londonderry lies on a hill on the west bank of the Foyle. In the past, the river branched and enclosed this wooded hill as an island; over the centuries, however, the western branch of the river dried up and became a low-lying and boggy district now called the Bogside.
The Peace Bridge, opened in 2011, is symbolic of the transformation of the city itself, connecting the predominantly Catholic west with the Protestant east.
Looking down over the walls of Derry is really the only time now that you get that raw sense of the past, as you look out over the murals and flags which define the religious territories of the city.
Northern Ireland - West Northern Ireland - Derry City - Town or city
Features
Ancient Monument, Cafe, Castle, Church, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Mostly Flat, Museum, Play Area, Pub, Public Transport, Restaurant, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Woodland