£155,000 to restore Royal Bastion and Plinth on City Walls

Repairs and restoration works are to be undertaken at the Royal Bastion and Plinth on the historic City Walls in Derry~Londonderry thanks to funding from the Department for Communities.

The Royal Bastion and Plinth on the historic City Walls in Derry~Londonderry

Derry City and Strabane District Council will be undertaking the work after planning permission was granted by the Council’s Planning Committee on 5 September 2018. The works which are supported by the Friends of the Derry Walls and the Siege Heroes Museum are due to get underway in Spring 2019.

The Plinth is the former base of the Walker’s Pillar which sits along Grand Parade and has restricted access due to its current poor physical condition.  

The proposed work will focus primarily on the Plinth itself, and will include repairs to stonework and railings, the removal of graffiti and replacement of the unsightly door and stairs. Repairs will also be carried out to the Royal Bastion including stonework cleaning while new interpretative panels will relate the present-day cityscape to the story of the Siege of Derry. 

Damian Mulholland, Director of the North West Development Office at the Department for Communities said: “The funding from the Department will enable much needed restoration works to be completed to the Plinth and Royal Bastion. These works will facilitate improved access to the monument, which provides unique views over the City, and will make an important contribution to the physical regeneration of the City Walls. The interpretative panels to be installed will further enhance the visitor experience and will help develop an understanding of the history of the City.”

Welcoming the restoration works the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr John Boyle said works to improve and enhance the historic Walls was very welcome news for the City and District and the wider region. He said: “I am delighted that Council has been working in partnership with interested groups to carry out this much needed and important restoration work that when completed will make the historic Plinth more accessible to the public and enhance the ongoing work we are doing to enhance our physical regeneration and tourism offering. This work would not be possible without the funding that has been provided by the Department for Communities. A key element of the work will also be the positive impact it will have on social cohesion between different factions of the local community through the use of interpretation and animation.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The Plinth will be open free to the public on Sunday 9 September 2018 from 12 noon until 4.00pm as part of European Heritage Open Days. It will also feature in Culture Night on Friday 21 September 2018 from 7.00pm - 7.40pm when it will host a performance of the Astronomic Weather Choir.
2. Media enquiries to DfC Press Office on 028 9082 3505 or email press.office@communities-ni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

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