The Derry Walls

Walls Management Group

Since 2009 a Walls Management Group has been meeting to coordinate and realise the full potential of the monument. Representatives from the Irish Society, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Department for Communities, Department for Infrastructure, City Centre Initiative, Visit Derry, Tourism NI, the Friends of the Walls, and other key stakeholders attend.

In 2019 a City Walls Manager was appointed.

Visitor information

Department for Communities (DfC) has published a visitor guide to the monument.

• Derry-Londonderry - A guide to the historic city walls
• Tourism NI publish further visitor information
• The Friends of the Walls have developed a website

Conservation plan

A conservation plan has been developed which sets out what is important about the monument, explains why this should be considered important, and sets out a series of policies to ensure that this can be maintained into the future. These are based upon detailed research and extensive consultation. A second edition was published in 2015.

• Derry city walls conservation plan

Management plan

A management plan has been developed. This provides guidance for those seeking to undertake events and activities and provides up to date contact details of those involved in managing the monument. It also sets provides information on maintenance activity and how this is carried out. A second edition of the plan was reviewed and published in May 2018 but an update is published every year.

• Derry Walls Management Plan

Strategic plan

A short strategic plan has been developed by the management group. This summarises joint aims, within the context of the district council’s community plan, for the development of the monument over future years. To view The Derry Walls strategic plan go to:

• Derry Walls Management Group meetings

Management Group

The management group considers operational issues quarterly with additional strategic meetings held on a biannual basis:

View the records of the Derry Walls Management Group meetings. Documents include:

• Terms of reference for the Management Group
• Most recent approved minutes.

Recent achievements of the Management Group include:

• Appointment of a Derry Walls Manager

• Installation of regulatory health and safety signs
• Installation of new lights on the Western Perspective of the Walls.

• Facilitating events, filming and art installations on the Walls
• Facilitating the Walls 400 programme of living history on the Walls
• Completing an audit of the lighting on the Walls
• Completing an audit of the furniture on the Walls.

• Commissioning of a cannon condition survey
• Producing a report on the vegetation on the Walls
• Training organised for City Centre Initiative Wardens in removing vegetation (Controlling the plants on the Derry Walls)

• City Centre Initiative wardens responding on the ground to minor incidents

• Commissioning a review of the presentation of the Gates.
• Relaunched the Derry Walls Management Plan
• Developing a Strategic Management Plan for the Walls
• Conservation work around the Walls and on the Plinth of Walker’s Pillar

• Production of a Site Evaluation Plan as part of a State Care Investment Programme
• Advising on planning applications that impact on the Walls
• Developing social media guidelines for acceptable usage of the Walls

• Progressing the implementation of recommendations of the Unlocking Prosperity through Heritage Led Regeneration conference
• Assisting in the installation of footfall sensors
• Positioning the Walls in the DCSDC Local Development Plan
• Involving the Walls in DCSDC’s Story Plan of the City

Records of the walls

Research for the conservation and management plans resulted in improved records of the monument which can be accessed at the Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland in Belfast or at the Tower Museum.

In October 2011, a Gazetteer was published utilising this data. It provides a detailed description of the monument and its associated history.