Overview
Ballykelly is a village of about 2,000 people on the eastern shore of Lough Foyle in County Londonderry, sitting on the A2 midway between Derry (15 miles west) and Limavady (3 miles east). It isn’t a destination in its own right so much as a good hour or two off the road: two flat walks, a working forest, and the enormous hangar of a wartime airfield rising over the fields. If you can only do one thing, walk a stretch of the Lough Foyle Trail for the views across the water to the Inishowen hills.
Two walks
The Lough Foyle Trail is the reason most walkers stop. It’s a flat, linear path along the sea wall running roughly 8 km between Ballykelly and the Roe Estuary, with several access points so you can start and finish where you like and turn back whenever you’ve had enough. The views across the lough to the Inishowen Peninsula are the draw, and it’s a reliable spot for waders and other coastal birds, best in the migration seasons. It’s exposed, though – there’s no shelter on the sea wall, so bring a layer even on a mild day.
Inland, Ballykelly Forest was Northern Ireland’s first State Forest. Short looped routes run through the trees on the southern side of the A2, with a shorter linear trail on the northern side, and there’s free parking at the car park. It’s a genuine working forest, so paths are occasionally diverted or closed for felling; nidirect lists current closures if you want to check before setting out.
RAF Ballykelly
Just outside the village stands the most striking thing in Ballykelly: the former RAF airfield, opened in 1941 as a Coastal Command base flying anti-submarine patrols over the North Atlantic during the Battle of the Atlantic. After the war it became an anti-submarine training station, closed as an airfield in 1971, and passed to the British Army as Shackleton Barracks. It’s privately owned now, with no public access, but the huge cantilever hangar and the control tower are clearly visible from the surrounding public roads – enough to give a sense of the scale of the place against the flat farmland and the lough beyond.
The village’s other landmark note is a sombre one: the 1982 Droppin Well bombing, at a bar and disco here, killed 17 people – the only fatal Troubles incident in Ballykelly.
Older history nearby
The area’s story runs a good deal further back. Christianity here is traced to 585 AD, and the remains of Tamlaght Finlagan Monastery – founded, tradition holds, by St Colmcille for St Fionnlogha – can be reached off the Tully Road. Sampson’s Tower, a fortified structure, was raised by public subscription in memory of Arthur Sampson, agent to the London Worshipful Company of Fishmongers for 40 years. And between Ballykelly and Limavady, Rough Fort is one of the best-preserved earthworks in Northern Ireland, covering about an acre. Ballykelly Castle survives as ruins too – freely accessible, but on uneven, overgrown ground, with interpretive signage on site.
Getting there and practical tips
Ballykelly is on the A2 between Derry and Limavady; the drive from Derry takes about 16 minutes, and the 144 bus runs between the two.
- Parking: Free at Ballykelly Forest and at lay-bys near the trail access points. Weekend spaces are limited, so come early.
- Accessibility: The Lough Foyle Trail is flat and mostly manageable for pushchairs and mobility aids, though some sections are gravel. The castle ruins are on rough ground and not wheelchair-accessible.
- Facilities: Basic in the village; Limavady, a few minutes east, has the cafés, shops and services.
- Nearby: The cliffs and views at Binevenagh are a short drive north.