When I grew up it seemed that Londonderry was always in the headlines so a visit to the walls gave those memories some context. The walls formed a bastion for the Protestant settlers and look down, literally, on the Catholic communities below.
Visiting Londonderry Walls
The walls are a major attraction in the city and well signposted. There is no specific parking but it is a city so there is plenty nearby. A full circuit walk takes around 20 minutes and there are plenty of guided options that will give you a history lesson too, possibly with the emphasis on modern rather than seventeenth century though. The murals below show that history is not something easily put aside here.
My Experience
I found it quite amazing to be standing and looking at places I had only heard of on the news and the fact they were in Britain (in itself a source of frustration to some!) only made it more surreal. The walls really do dominate the city below and were a superb vantage point. They are around a mile in circumference and have restored cannons from various periods dotted along their length.
I visited the walls again in 2021, on a seasonally wet August day! I walked most of the circuit of the walls, in between dodging showers and warming up in cafes and also visited the Tower Museum for a bit more information about the background to the siege. The second gallery is from the 2021 visit.
Londonderry Walls Photo Gallery
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021 
Londonderry City Walls 2021
History
Derry’s walls were originally built by the Irish Society between 1613 and 1619. They were built with the intention of protecting the Scottish and English planters that had moved to Ulster as part of the Plantation of Ulster that had been established by James I. It was a direct consequence of the previous settlement being destroyed by Irish chieftain Cahir O’Doherty during O’Doherty’s rebellion. As a result of the building of the city’s defences by the Irish Society, which was a consortium of livery companies based out of the City of London, the city was officially renamed Londonderry in the 1613 royal charter. This is what has subsequently led to the naming dispute for the city and county of Derry/Londonderry.
The walls are at the centre of the historic city of Derry and within them are a number of Derry’s most important landmarks including the Apprentice Boy’s Hall and St. Columb’s Cathedral (the first ever purpose build Protestant Cathedral).
The Siege of Derry was the first major conflict that occurred during the Williamite War in Ireland. It began when 13 apprentices took the keys for the city’s gates and locked them against the advancing forces of the Earl of Antrim who were loyal to James II.As Antrim did not have enough men to lay siege to the city, he retreated to Coleraine.
On 18 April 1689 the siege would begin in earnest when forces loyal to the king arrived and ordered the city to surrender. Soon James himself would also arrive and ask the city to surrender, but the city refused. The siege would continue until 1 August when ships carrying food and supplies broke through the boom across the River Foyle and relieved the city. The fact that the city’s walls have never been breached gave rise to one of its nicknames; the Maiden City.
References
The discovernorthernireland site has some good information on a visit to Londonderry walls here.
This plan of the walls is from that site:
The history above is copied from the non contentious Wiki page here.