Marks of Time
Historic Buildings as  illustrations of the past.
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Derry to Strabane
    • Derry to Limavady
    • Kilkenny to Derry
    • Dublin Visit
    • Inishowen Tour
    • Co Down Visit
    • Carrickfergus Tour
    • Stirling
    • Belfast to Derry
  • About
    • Links
    • Further Reading
  • Contact
  • Map Viewer
  • Counties

cathedral and Walls

St Columb’s Cathedral, built  in 1633, is the earliest intact building to survive in the city. It was the  first purpose built  Protestant Cathedral in the British Isles and is a  typical London  church of its  time. It has seen great changes over the years but its  essential character as a  late Perpendicular Gothic church remains. Its style  is often referred to as  ‘Planters Gothic’ as the fine web like detail often  associated with the  Perpendicular is dispensed with in favour of a more  robust and defensible  construction.

This typical section of wall at the ‘Fountain’ shows clearly  that the external faces slope backwards from the base in a ‘batter’. This is
part of the design and aimed to deflect canon balls. Behind the external surface  is 2 metres of stone further reinforced by c.8 metres of earthen ramparts to the  rear. The use of the projecting bastions to allow defenders to fire along the  sides of the wall can be clearly understood. As originally constructed, the base  of the wall at this section was further defended by a ditch which followed the  line of the structure.

This small arched door in the Walls is likely to be of early construction. It is a ‘sally port’ or secret exit from the city away from the main approaches. Inside, it is now blocked up after about three metres. The  route beyond, though the graveyard, is understood to have collapsed. A major  commander of Gaelic Irish forces during the Confederacy of Kilkenny (1642-50),  Owen Roe O’Neill, is said to have used the entrance to visit the inhabitants and
discuss supporting them at the time of the 1649 siege.   This siege occurred because Parliament in London had decided that the city should not be controlled  by a Scottish Army which had crossed into Ulster  during the uncertain period of the English Civil War. 
Owen Roe engaged this army and relieved the garrison.
  
 

Picture
Picture
Picture
<Back                 Late Seventeenth Century>
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.