Nearby, in Lisnagelvin townland, is an interesting building from 1983. This is Londonderry Free Presbyterian Church. Its free flowing forms recall the sails of a ship and to the rear, behind the pulpit, stained glass windows in the form of a ship with sails carry on the theme.- an elegant solution for a suburban church.
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On the other side of the hospital, beside the historic coach road from the Waterside is Glendermott Church of Ireland. This dates from 1753. Its belfry was added in 1789 and it had a copper spire in 1774 but this blew down in 1831. A side aisle was added to cater for a greatly increased congregation following a revival in the 1860’s and in 1982 the porch was added. The war memorial of a soldier playing the last post is unusual in that it is dedicated to the pre war UVF rather than to any regular regiment
Princess Macha is a statue given prominence at the entrance to the hospital. Near a foundation plaque (on a piece of granite moved to this area from Scotland in the Ice Age), it represents the founder of the first recorded hospital in Ulster, at Emain Macha near Armagh. On her hand is a dove, representing St Columba, the dove of the church and reputed founder of the city. The statue is by FE McWilliam (1909-1992).
Agnes Jones House, at the edge of the site, is the original Victorian House that was purchased, along with its land, for the hospital. Built in the 1890’s it was designed by an amateur architect a Mr Eaton, who owned a successful bakery in the city. The building is quite grand inside with robust High Victorian details and a welcoming fire in the hall. Agnes Jones was a nurse from Fahan in Co. Donegal who accompanied Florence Nightingale to the Crimean War
The Nurses Home on the site, still retains much of the character of the original hospital. It also has expanses of glazing contrasted with sculptural panels of stone or brick.
187. www.Marksoftime.com
The key landmark in the area is Altnagelvin Hospital. Now clad with white insulated panels and surrounded by extensions of varying quality, it is shown here as first opened in 1960. Designed by Yorke Rosenberg and Mardall (YRM) it was the fist purpose built hospital of the UK National Health Service. A tower block on top of a ridge, set within parkland, it conformed to classic modernist themes, but its use of local brick and stone and well placed primitive art, also formed links to the local area and imparted a sense of timelessness. Still worth a visit if only to see the remains of the Star Trek like lettering in the stair well Lets have a look at a different part of the city. Altnagelvin Ward forms the edge of the city to the east. It links the ridge of one of the low hills opposite the historic city core to the valley of the River Faughan. It is now a largely a suburban area developed over the last twenty years, but there is much to see.
185. www.Marksoftime.com
At the bottom of the road stands the Abercorn factory, earliest former shirt factory to survive in the city. Built in 1853 it is of an austere Georgian form and is a clear symbol of the city’s industrial past to those crossing into the city from the east over the nearby Craigavon Bridge On the other side of the street is the former Welch Margetson Shirt Factory of 1872. This huge building fits remarkably well into its surroundings. It is helped by its Gothic entrance door housed in a separate pitched roof porch which relates to the scale of the neighbouring terrace.The polychrome brickwork of the building reflects the Venetian Gothic style popular at the time.
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