Author Archives: cboyle71

A visit to Springhill is yet another of the Northern Irish experiences that requires some planning as it is only open at weekends. Again, access to the house is by guided tour only, but as I have mentioned before this … Continue reading →

I have had to cheat with this visit as the NT opening times in Northern Ireland have caught me out at last. I have felt during my travels here that the Trust is struggling more in this region than in … Continue reading →

Castle Ward is a house full of surprises, from blended architectural styles to boxing squirrels(!). Perhaps the least surprising thing is that, once again, there is no guidebook available at present, so I have had to cobble my information together … Continue reading →

After our visit to Downhill Demesne, we followed the Causeway Coastal Route through Portrush and Bushmills (the former was bustling as it is getting ready for the NW200 motorbike race later this week), to reach the Giant’s Causeway. There was … Continue reading →

Wow! What a fantastic day on the north coast of Northern Ireland. We made no less than three NT visits, all very different, but all bathed in sunshine, with spectacular views around every corner. Only two of the visits qualify … Continue reading →

A visit to Patterson’s Spade Mill must be prebooked as it has very limited opening times – Saturdays only and just the first Saturday of the month in the shoulder seasons. It is worth planning ahead to ensure a spot … Continue reading →

Mount Stewart is one of the flagship properties in Northern Ireland. The house is situated close to the banks of Strangford Lough, so the approach offers superb views from the shoreside road, back across the water to Scrabo Hill where … Continue reading →

I visited The Argory for lunch about six years ago en route to a weekend near Enniskillen to start my Northern Irish NT adventures. It was a pleasure to be back at last to do it properly and take in … Continue reading →

Ardress House is another of the smaller Northern Ireland properties that has fairly limited opening times and few facilities. As ever, though, it was worth a look as there were one or two ‘ooh’ moments. The first thing we noticed … Continue reading →

As our visit to Derrymore House did not take all that long, we decided to head across to Rowallane Garden and get this week of Trusting off to a flying start. Like Derrymore, Rowallane offers pleasant surroundings for a walk, … Continue reading →