A milestone anniversary for Eglinton village

It may be a small satellite to Londonderry, but the village punches well above its weight when it comes to heritage and historical importance.

Originally known as Muff or ‘An Mhagh’ meaning “The Plain” in Irish, Eglinton village was built as part of the plantation of the city and county by the 12 guilds of London, on the lands of the Grocers Company.

The Church of Ireland rectory is shown on a map of 1622.

The village was redesigned in the early 19th Century with an impressive tree lined main street. Two oak trees in the centre of the village were planted as saplings to commemorate the coronations of Edward VII and George V.

The village was renamed as Eglinton in 1858 after a visit by the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Eglinton.

The Court and Market House, located on the main street in Eglinton Village this house was built by Michael Angelo Nicholson in 1827 and acted as a court room and market house. It originally had open arcades on the ground floor level for a country market.

There are two Coat of Arms that decorate the low walls alongside the building, on the left are the Arms of the Babington family and on the right are the Arms of the Grocers Company. St. Canice’s Church of Ireland built between 1619-1622 was erected on the same site as the present Church of Ireland.

St Canice’s, Faughanvale Parish Church was designed by John Bowen and built in 1821 of Georgian design with a tower at one end. The building was extended in 1853 when transepts were added; of the original 17th Century church only the ruin of the west gable with its cut stone window remains today.