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Crew, County Londonderry facts for kids

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Crew
Townland
A green field with trees in the distance

Crew is a small area of land in Northern Ireland. It's known as a townland. You can find Crew in County Londonderry. It is part of a larger area called the civil parish of Maghera. Think of a townland like a very old neighborhood or small district.

What is a Townland?

A townland is a very old way of dividing up land in Ireland. These divisions have been used for hundreds of years. They are much older than modern counties or cities. Each townland has its own name. These names often tell us something about the land itself.

How Old Are Townlands?

Townlands have been around for a very long time. Some people think they date back to the early Middle Ages. They were used to help organize land for farming. They also helped with collecting taxes. Today, townlands are still used for addresses. They are also important for local history.

Where is Crew Located?

Crew is in the eastern-central part of the civil parish of Maghera. It is in County Londonderry. This county is in the northern part of Northern Ireland. Crew is right on the northern edge of another civil parish. This parish is called Termoneeny.

Neighboring Areas

Crew is surrounded by several other townlands. These are like its neighbors. The townlands next to Crew include:

  • Ballymacilcurr
  • Culnady
  • Curragh
  • Moneymore
  • Mullagh
  • Tamnymartin
  • Tamnymullan

A Bit of History

When land in Londonderry was divided a long time ago, Crew was special. It was not given to any of the London livery companies. These companies were groups of merchants in London. They were given land in Ireland to help develop the area. Instead, Crew was kept as "church lands." This means the land belonged to the church.

What are Church Lands?

"Church lands" were areas of land that were owned by the church. This could be for various reasons. Sometimes it was to support local churches. Other times it was to provide income for religious leaders. This shows that Crew had a special status in the past. It was different from many other townlands in the area.

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