Derry / Londonderry audio tour: Derrie Danders: Highlights of the Walled City

Derrie Danders: Highlights of the Walled City

Derry / Londonderry, United Kingdom
(15)

Walking Tour

|
40 mins
|
1mi

About the Tour

Welcome to the historic city of Derry – or Londonderry, depending on who you ask. Ours is a city rich in complex history, and filled with locals who’ll invite you to stay and "enjoy the craic".

This introductory tour takes you on a full circuit of the city's 400 year old walls. I’ll point out many of the famous historical and cultural sights en route and suggest places to return to for longer visits.

You may know a bit about the city from the recent comedy series Derry Girls, and we’ll visit the popular mural dedicated to the show. But on this tour you’ll also hear about:

• The city's saint, St Columba / Colmcille, who first established his monastery here in 542 AD
• The great Siege of Derry in 1688 and 1689
• The Troubles, which were a part of life here from 1969 to 1994
• The city's role in the second world war and the Battle of the Atlantic
• Immigration during the Plantation of Ulster
• Emigration during the Irish Potato Famine, or Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849

I invite you to join me in a “dander” around the Derry Walls, and this ancient but exciting part of the city.(“Dander” means a walk in the local dialect.)

Tour Producer

avatar

David Douglas
I am an accountant by profession but an historian by passion.In October 2018, I established Derrie Danders Walking Tours and seek to deliver historically accurate and politically neutral tours of my home city, where I have been born and bred.I am extremely proud of my city and love telling visitors of its role in many of the conflicts and historical events of the past and am optimistic of its role in the ongoing peace process in the future.

Map

Major Landmarks

  • Visitors Information Centre

  • Walls of Derry

  • Derry Girls Mural

  • St Columb's Cathedral

  • View of the Bogside

  • Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall (Siege Museum)

  • Craft Village

  • Tower Museum

  • Guildhall

  • Peace Bridge

Directions to Starting Point

The start place for the tour is the Visit Derry Visitor Information Centre on Waterloo Place.
The easiest way to find the starting place is to go to the major landmark of the Guildhall, which is close by and visible from the Peace Bridge and the Bus Station. Keep the Guildhall on your right and the City Walls on your left, and walk through Shipquay Place to Waterloo Place. The Visitor Information Centre is a modern tower building on your left just past the end of the Walls (Cowards Bastion/Magazine Gate) and is opposite the Northern Counties Building on your right.

Show Directions
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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Visitor Information Centre,Derry Girls Mural,St Columb's Cathedral,St Augustine's Church, Siege Museum, First Derry Church Blue Coat Heritage Centre, Museum of Free Derry (if you leave tour and go down to Bogside), Craft Village,Tower Museum,the Guildhall, Peace Bridge and over the bridge to Ebrington Square.

Best time of day

The tour is best done between 8am and 8pm, as a section of the Walls around Bishops Gate is closed from 8.50 pm to 7.00 am every evening, so it is not possible to do a full circuit.

Precautions

Please be careful when crossing any roads, bearing in mind that we drive on left side of the road in Northern Ireland. Also most of the tour is on the 400 year old Walls of the city which can be quite steep in places, and may be slippery when wet or icy.

Comments

I completed this tour on 28 October 2020. David gave a very comprehensive tour. He covered all the important aspects of the rich history of the city. He told us about the various buildings and interesting facts. David told us how to complete the tour safely. A really worthwhile tour and I would highly commend it to you.

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 4 months ago

Interesting and Informative

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 5 months ago

Great tour and loved that we could do it at our own pace. Thanks.

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 5 months ago

Very convenient starting point beside the Tourist Office and a great introduction to the city of Derry. Left me wanting more !!!

Posted by Patrick , 5 months ago

Thank you Patrick. Currently working on a couple of additional tours that will pick up from where the first left off, so watch this space.

Posted by David , 5 months ago

A fantastic and inexpensive introduction to the city

Posted by David , 5 months ago

Listened to it from home and felt I was actually in the Walled City

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 6 months ago

Excellent Tour David, I would very much like to visit Derry and see all the historic landmarks now that I have listened to the Tour

Posted by Dave , 6 months ago

Thank you Dave for your positive comments.Its great that the tour has stimulated your interest in a visit to my home city.

Posted by David , 6 months ago

Really great introduction to the city

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 6 months ago

Thank you for your positive feedback.

Posted by David , 6 months ago

Excellent and comprehensive, easy to follow directions and plenty of recommendations of other things to visit. Well put across.

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , 6 months ago

Thank you for your comments and I’m glad to hear you found the tour easy to follow.

Posted by David Douglas , 6 months ago

Thank you for your comments and I’m glad to hear you found the tour easy to follow

Posted by David , 6 months ago
Preview mode limited to first 3 locations.
Derrie Danders: Highlights of the Walled City