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Search for “bishops gate” and you’ll land somewhere in the City of London or somewhere in the historic centre of Derry, Northern Ireland, and the two have almost nothing in common beyond the name. This guide sorts out both, but it spends most of its time in Derry, because that’s the Bishop’s Gate you can still walk through.
In London, Bishopsgate is a street and former ward named after a gate in the Roman and medieval city wall, torn down in 1760 to ease traffic. Today the name lives on through the skyscrapers built along that street, including 22 Bishopsgate and its free viewing platform, Horizon 22. In Derry, Bishop’s Gate is one of four original entrances through the city’s 17th-century walls, and unlike its London namesake, it’s still standing, still walkable, and still one of the most photographed spots in the city.
For travellers, that distinction matters. If you’re chasing skyline views and City of London history, you want the London section below. If you’re planning time in Northern Ireland, or you’ve found this page while researching Derry, the sections that follow cover what you’ll actually encounter when you visit.
London’s Bishopsgate: A Street Named After a Gate That No Longer Exists
London’s Bishopsgate takes its name from a gate built into the Roman city wall along the line of Ermine Street, later rebuilt in the Saxon period under Bishop Erconwald, from whom the gate gets its name. The Hanseatic League, a medieval trading confederation with a base nearby, helped maintain the gate for centuries as part of their trading privileges in the city.
By the mid-18th century, London’s gates had become a bottleneck for the carts and carriages moving goods through the expanding city. Parliament ordered Bishopsgate demolished in 1760, along with several of the City’s other historic gates, and today nothing of the original structure remains above ground. A stone plaque bearing a bishop’s mitre, set into a wall near the junction of Wormwood Street and Camomile Street, marks roughly where it once stood.
What survives is the name, now attached to one of London’s most recognisable skylines. 22 Bishopsgate houses Horizon 22, Europe’s highest free viewing platform, while 8 Bishopsgate offers The Lookout, another free public viewing floor. Both require advance online booking, and neither charges admission. If London’s Bishopsgate is what brought you here, these two towers are the modern-day landmarks worth building a visit around.
Derry’s Bishop’s Gate: Still Standing, Still Walkable
Here’s where the two “Bishops Gates” part ways entirely. Derry’s Bishop’s Gate sits within the historic Walled City of Derry/Londonderry, on the northwest side of the fortifications, and it’s one of only four original entrances built when the walls went up. Founded as a monastic settlement in the 6th century and later fortified during the Plantation of Ulster, Derry grew into a strategic stronghold on the banks of the River Foyle, and its walls remain the reason people visit today.
Completed between 1613 and 1619 by the London-based Irish Society, the walls encircle the city centre for roughly 1.5 kilometres and rank among the best-preserved fortifications of their kind in Europe. Derry is Ireland’s only remaining completely walled city, which is why the walk along the ramparts, gates and all, has become one of Northern Ireland’s most rewarding free experiences for travellers.
The Original Gate and the Siege of 1689
The Bishop’s Gate that stood during the Siege of Derry in 1689 was a more modest structure than the one visitors see today. During that 105-day siege, when Jacobite forces surrounded the city after thirteen apprentices famously locked the gates against them, Derry’s walls held, and the city’s failure to fall gave rise to its enduring nickname, the Maiden City.
The Triumphal Arch You See Today
The gate standing today isn’t the one that survived the siege. In 1789, Frederick Hervey, the wealthy and famously eccentric Bishop of Derry and 4th Earl of Bristol, commissioned a complete rebuild to mark the centenary of the gates’ closing. Architect Henry Aaron Baker designed a neoclassical triumphal arch, with sculpted keystone heads by Edward Smyth representing the River Foyle and the River Boyne. Hervey’s building projects extended well beyond Derry; his coastal folly at Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, along the Causeway Coast, carries the same architectural ambition.
“When you stand under Bishop’s Gate and look up at those carved river heads, you’re looking at a monument someone built specifically so the story of 1689 wouldn’t be forgotten, not the original wartime gate itself. That layering of history on top of history is what makes Derry’s walls so rewarding to walk slowly rather than rush through,” says Ciaran Connolly, Founder of ConnollyCove.
Walking the Walls: What’s Near Bishop’s Gate
Bishop’s Gate sits close to several sites worth building into the same visit. The Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall, just inside the gate, houses a museum dedicated to the 1689 siege. A short walk brings you to the Bogside, where large-scale murals document the civil rights era and the Troubles. St Columb’s Cathedral, the city’s oldest building, sits within the walls and rewards a slower look at its stained glass and monuments.
Further along, the Peace Bridge connects the walled city to Ebrington Square across the River Foyle, and the Guildhall’s neo-Gothic stonework anchors the riverside. Travellers with more time can extend the walk toward St Columb’s Park on the Waterside, reached on foot via the bridge in around 25 to 30 minutes.
Current Conditions & Seasonal Information
Walking the full 1.5-kilometre circuit of Derry’s walls, including passing through Bishop’s Gate, is free and accessible year-round. Late spring through early autumn, roughly May to September, brings the mildest weather and the longest daylight for a full circuit plus nearby sites. October is worth planning around specifically for Derry’s Halloween festival, one of the largest celebrations of its kind in Europe. Winter visits are quieter and the walls remain open, but pack for wind and rain off the Foyle regardless of season. For step-free access points, current opening arrangements at individual sites, and any temporary closures along the walls, check ahead with Derry City and Strabane District Council’s heritage listings before travelling.
Planning a Visit: Getting There
Derry sits around a 90-minute drive from Belfast and just over three hours from Dublin, with City of Derry Airport roughly 11 kilometres from the centre offering UK connections. Regular bus and rail services connect Derry to Belfast, and Belfast’s own experiences make a natural add-on for travellers combining both cities. For where to stay once you arrive, ConnollyCove’s guide to Derry’s hotels covers options both inside and just outside the walls.
A Shared Thread Across Two Cities
London’s Bishopsgate and Derry’s Bishop’s Gate share a name and little else: one is a memory marked by a plaque beneath glass towers, the other a working 18th-century arch you can still walk through on a free, self-guided loop of one of Europe’s best-preserved city walls. For travellers researching Northern Ireland specifically, Derry rewards a full day: the walls, the murals, the bridge, and the quieter corners like St Columb’s Park all sit within easy walking distance of each other.
For a broader sense of what the wider county offers beyond the city itself, ConnollyCove’s County Londonderry guide and Northern Ireland getaways guide are good next stops, and travellers connecting Derry’s emigration history to family roots may also want to look at Irish farewell blessings, given the port’s role sending generations of Ulster emigrants to North America. For the fuller story of the walled city itself and what else to see in Derry, ConnollyCove’s related guides pick up where this one leaves off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bishopsgate in London called Bishopsgate?
It was named after Erconwald, the 7th-century Bishop of London, who rebuilt the original Roman gate and used tolls from it to fund London’s religious buildings. The name survived the gate itself, which was demolished centuries later.
Can you still see the physical Bishopsgate in London today?
No, the original structure was demolished in 1760 to improve traffic flow through the City. A stone plaque bearing a bishop’s mitre, set into a wall near Wormwood Street and Camomile Street, marks its approximate former location.
Is Derry’s Bishop’s Gate the same structure that stood during the 1689 siege?
No. The current triumphal arch dates from 1789, built to mark the siege’s centenary and designed by Henry Aaron Baker. The more modest gate that stood through the actual siege was replaced by this later structure.
Is it free to walk the Derry Walls and pass through Bishop’s Gate?
Yes, the entire 1.5-kilometre circuit is free and open year-round. There’s no ticket or booking required to walk the ramparts or pass through any of the gates.
What is the best time of year to visit Derry’s Walled City?
May to September offers the mildest weather and longest days for exploring on foot. October is also worth considering for Derry’s Halloween festival, one of Europe’s largest.
Are the viewing platforms at London’s 22 Bishopsgate and 8 Bishopsgate free?
Yes, both Horizon 22 at 22 Bishopsgate and The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate are free to visit, though both require booking a time slot online in advance.
What else is within walking distance of Bishop’s Gate in Derry?
The Bogside murals, St Columb’s Cathedral, the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall, and the Peace Bridge are all within a short walk, making the area easy to combine into a single half-day visit.
