About
St. Augustine's Church sits proudly on the Grand Parade of the Walls of Derry and is affectionately referred to locally as 'the Wee Church on the Walls'. It is acknowledged as being the oldest Christian site in the city, dating back to 546AD and the foundation of the first abbey of Columba (Colmcille).
The present church built in 1872 replaced the church of 1745 and the rebuild - in the English Gothic style - was initiated by Bishop William Alexander who renamed the church St. Augustine's at the consecration on 9th June 1872 (St. Columba's Day). Bishop Alexander's wife was Cecil Frances Alexander and she was a prolific writer of hymns including All Things Bright and Beautiful, Once in Royal David's City and There is a Green Hill Far Away. Many famous people are buried in the graveyard including the grandparents of Bernard Montgomery of Alamein and the oldest gravestone, the Carrec Stone, dates back to 1567. Once known as God's Little Acre, the present church occupies a quarter of an acre and has services every Sunday and Tuesday morning.
