Sampson's  Tower

Sampson's tower outside Limavady   Grid reference C656235

This is a famous local landmark. The facts are easily told. After the Beresfords had been in charge of the Fishmonger Company's extensive properties for a while, the latter seem to have regretted this decision and decided to run the place themselves. With 'place' is meant a very large area in and around Ballykelly. Unfortunately they picked the Rev. George Vaughan Sampson who, because of an act of parliament, couldn't take up the job. The Rev. got in the way, they say. His son Arthur however wasn't reverent, so he took over from his father and worked for the Fishmongers for 34 years. It is in his memory that the tower in the townland of Farlow was built in 1860. The place is very hard to get to as it is on private land and surrounded by trees. The tower itself is in excellent shape and it is quite a charming combination of round and square tower. The round part of the tower contains a stone spiral staircase and the square part presumably some rooms, though large heaps of nesting material as well as lack of headroom prevented this rather tall investigator from making certain. The battlements of the round tower were unfortunately vandalised some thirty years ago. Above the entrance is a stone plaque which reads: ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION IN MEMORY OF ARTHUR SAMPSON ESQ FOR NEARLY FORTY YEARS JUSTICE OF THE PEACE FOR COUNTIES LONDONDERRY AND TYRONE AND AGENT OF THE WORSHIPFUL COY OF FISHMONGERS HE DIED THE 22nd JANY 1859 IN THE 64th YEAR OF HIS AGE The building is situated in a small copse which seems to be frequented by trespassing hunters, judging by messily discarded cartridge cases and one silent example of the breed stalking the wood and looking at the world through his telescopic sights.

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