A blog of sketches of historic buildings - Marks of Time

January 20th, 2020

20/1/2020

Glendermott Presbyterian church nearby is the oldest roofed building in the Waterside area. A foundation stone in its porch dates the building to 1696 - 'How amiable are thy tabernacles o Lord. Ms John Avery 1696’. The building was originally a single hall or 'barn church' with a pulpit on the long side. It was enlarged in 1748 into a T shaped building and balconies are likely to have been added in the 1830's. The building was renovated in the 1930's and 1960's and has recently undergone works supervised by Knox and Markwell Architects.

January 19th, 2020

19/1/2020

The medieval church in the area was situated further south east on the valley floor (of Glen Dermott). This is known as Clondermott Church and little remans of this apart from some raised ground within the current graveyard. This church was associated with the Clan Dermott, medieval rulers of this area.There is a tradition that it was associated with St Columba. In the graveyard are the tombs of two men closely associated with the Great Seige of Derry in 1689 John Mitchebourne and Adam Murray. After the Ulster Plantation the site passed to the Church of Ireland who the rebuilt the church and used it until the new one was constructed in 1753. During the Comwellian period of the 1650's the minister a Presbyterian form of worship was followed but and with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 all ministers had to submit to the Episcopailan form of worship or quit. The minister of Glendermott hung on for five years to 1665 but then left with a significant part of the congergation to found Glendermott Presbyterian Congregation.

Altnagelvin Ward

15/1/2020

23 years ago I was part of a team (from McCormick Tracey Mullarkey architects) that surveyed in detail the historic buildings of the electoral ward of Altnagelvin on the Waterside of Derry~Londonderry. The centre of the area was the townland of Altnagelvin, part of the lands given to the Goldsmiths Company of London at the time of the Ulster Plantation in the early seventeenth century. One of the first buildings we recorded was Glendermott church, a building perched on a prominent location at the top of a steep hill up from the River Faughan, which had seen many changes over the years. Built in 1753 its tower was added in 1789 and had a spire which blew down in the 1820's. It was doubled in size in 1861 following the 'Great Revival' with a pitched side aisle added. The porch was added in 1989.

January 04th, 2020

4/1/2020

Its been a great Christmas for walks. I have been on the Moville to Greencastle walk a few times. Each time the changing weather conditions made it feel like a new place. This is the changing room and former pool near the start of the walk. It was designed by the architect Liam McCormick in the 1940's and is one of a number of similar pavilions he designed along its route.

January 01st, 2020

1/1/2020

Happy New Year. Why not get back to basics today and visit this wonderful site in the Co Tyrone hills? This is is Clogherny Wedge Tomb, which is located on high ground between Plumbridge and Donemanagh. It is s wet climb through the boggy slopes but well worth it . The tomb is thought to date from around the Early Bronze Age of 2,500 years ago and it is surrounded by a ring of probably later standing stones. These were shown in an excavation of 1937 to be linked to the monument by cobbles.

December 29th, 2019

29/12/2019

Visited Inch yesterday -A fantastic place. The castle is thought to date from the Fifteenth Century and was ruinous by 1600. It still has a vaulted ground floor chamber and steps within its thick walls which open onto the remains of the great hall, which has fantastic views out over Lough Swilly. Its a great place for a picnic. On the hill behind is Grianan of Ailech thought to date from the Iron Age and restored in the late nineteenth century, another place full of atmosphere.

December 28th, 2019

28/12/2019

A walk in town this Christmas Saturday. This stone is one of many strategically located around the town and surrounding countryside as part of the Derry Donegal landscape project of 1992. Artist Marco Pogacnik erected these 'like acupuncture pins in the landscape' to restore 'natural balance to a region destroyed by centuries of development'. Each stone has a unique 'cosmogramme' inspired by the surrounding landscape.

December 27th, 2019

27/12/2019

Time to get out and blown about. I love Cooley above Moville in Co. Donegal. Early monastery, high cross, 'skull house' and fantastic views.

December 24th, 2019

24/12/2019

Happy Christmas Eve. This is St Brecan's Church in St Columb's Park in Derry yesterday. I have visited this park over many years and never noticed this view through the trees. Perhaps it was the low winter sun.

Winter Solstice

22/12/2019

Happy Winter Solstice Day. This is Newgrange Co Meath, which on mornings around the winter solstice- if it isn't too cloudy- a beam of light penetrates the roof-box and travels up the 19 metre passage and into the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens so that the whole chamber is dramatically illuminated. Newgrange is thought to be over 5,000 years old, It was excavated and restored between 1962 and 1975 and is now part of the Brú na Bóinne wolrd heritage landscape.