City Walls

Don’t even think about it. The walls were interesting but forget about it! The city needs a bloody roof with the amount of rain it receives.

Let me take you back to the start of my trip

I flew direct to Londonderry airport from Stansted and immediately I could smell the “Derry air”. It went down hill from there. The most immediate flight back wasn’t until the next day so I just figured I’d have to roll with it. We met my cousin (a Catholic) just outside the front of the airport itself and from the moment we got into the car, he was heavily insistent that we took the tour of the walls. I was in two minds about it, being an English man and that, but I figured times have moved on since then. After some excuse making, I finally gave in and he drove my pregnant wife and I to a pace called, ‘Wheelers’ for some food first (review coming shorty). After an hour of hell in there (spoilers), we made our way to the walls.

Upon our decent to the meeting point of the tour, I encountered four Londonderry natives who were drinking some form of cheap cider I wasn’t impressed. “Alright mucker,” I heard one shout to another young gentleman coming out from a Ladbrokes. He signalled a positive thumbs up and caught me looking at him as he did. I was immediately fearful but continued, trying not to gain any further attention.

When we met our tour guide, he spoke absolute utter nonsense the entirety of the tour and, aside from the unintelligible mumbling, most of what he was saying was a lie directly entirely at the British. I raised my concerns with the tour guide regarding the validity of what he was saying and from this point in the tour, he began to make reference to me continuously, making the others aware that I am English. The other members of the tour were foreign so they did not seem to understand what was going on but it was incredibly uncomfortable nonetheless. I’d never recommend this tour to anyone. I didn’t learn a single thing and it poured rain the whole time.

When I got back to my cousins house, he wouldn’t stop asking about about the tour, insisting that it’s excellent and we should go again, this time with him. I went to bed incredibly upset and on the verge of tears. I’ll never be back in Londonderry or a Wheelers ever again!

I visited here with my wife when we were in Derry. We began by visiting the Visitor Centre and the staff there gave us a map and quick explanation of the city walls so we had some general info before we started the walk. As we left the centre we walked up the street opposite and with a quick right turn we found ourselves at the base of the walls.

The walls are about 1 mile long and in places over 20 feet thick and they give lovely views of the city. We wanted to visit the St Columba Church but it was closed and thee were over sites situated near the walls to view as we walked round. We went up the hill to the left when we started out and saw the Bogside on our left when we came round the far side. We could see the murals in the distance but stayed within the walls area and did not walk over there due to time factors.

We stopped for lunch in the craft area then visited the city museum at the bottom of the hill and the Guildhall before making our way round the far side to return to the shopping centre which is sited at the side of the wall itself. We stayed there most of the day and found the who visited well worthwhile. So, anyone visiting the walls, take guided tour if you want, but if you're just being leisurely like we were you can go round in your own time and have just an enjoyable experience. If you walk the way we did, you will have a steep walk uphill at the end.

The trip around the walls was spoilt very much by the amount of litter strewn around the walled area overlooking the Tower museum and the Guildhall overlooking the peace Bridge.
This was mainly made up of discarded takeaway food and half full containers around that area.
The views from the walls are amazing and allows a complete tour of the inner city as it brings you into contact of so many iconic sights.
You can experience views of the city centre streets and also has historical artifacts of a past history.
It also affords a view of the Free Derry Corner and murals from the walls.
It is a mixture of the past and the present and in a humerous way the mural of the infamous Derry Girls on the gable wall of Badgers Bar is refreshing.
It is such a pity that the littering should take away from this very emotive and iconic historical part of this beautiful and welcoming City.
Overall a great experience, not to be missed.

We had a great time walking atop the City Walls of Derry. Historically important, the high walls also offer magnificent views of the city. I recommend that you go with a guide who can enrich the experience with details about the history of the walls as well as the history of Derry itself, with its turbulent past and present peace. But do go. It’s a worthwhile walk.

Loved the City Walls and my tip would be to look all round you or you might miss something. There can be some steep bits to climb but even if you are like me and find that a struggle, it's worth taking your own time and enjoying it. We downloaded an audio guide for the walk around the walls and I would recommend that or something similar too.

We were staying very close to the Walls so walked on them at various times.

We did a guided walking tour of the city which included explaining about the walls.

Some very interesting history, both modern and much older.

Fascinating to be able to walk all round and to imagine how things have changed in the last 50 years.

I have enjoyed walking the City Walls of Derry with my two young sons. All of us found it interesting, and it is a good walk (or in my sons' case - run). The information is bite size and you can of course read more about it - depending on your circumstances (or if it is soon going to rain!). They are well signposted. They offer a very good view of Derry and they are also very close to Foyle Side. One cannot miss the Derry City Walls if you are in the city and it is also easy to get to the Peace Bridge from there, by the guildhall. Recommended for Families.

I was brought up in Derry so a stroll around the walls probably means more to me than it does to most people. Throughout my childhood I attended St Augustin's Church which is on the wall and my father's and great uncle's names are on what I think is called the role of honour in the church of those who fought in both world wars. While on a visit some years ago I was amazed to discover that one of the stained glass windows is in memory of someone who was one of my teenage girlfriends! I had a great aunt who lived in the Fountain and an aunt who lived in the Bogside so I guess my family straddled the sectarian divide. I had Catholic and non Catholic friends and, until I went to live in Belfast, never knew anyone who had obvious prejudice against fellow citizens of a different religion. The only thing I ever disliked about the city was the never ending rain and I still get a thrill every time I visit the Maiden City. Poor health has stopped us visiting for a while but I am on the mend and hope to walk on Derry's Walls again very soon.

This is a great walk lots to see and full of great historical facts. This is one of the very few intact walled cities in the world. There are several notices throughout the walk with lots of information on the history of the city.

This is a great way to view the city while educating yourself on how it has come to be such a divided city. You can see the nationalist murals of the Bogside and the loyalist murals of the Fountain estate from a safe distance. If you read the various information boards you should piece together the historical events which have led to the divisions which still exist. A good way to spend an hour.