Page 290 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

288  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

dwarf conifer beds and a
rhododendron wood.
Elsewhere in the park are a
19th-century Scottish baronial-
style castle (now a conference
centre), a lake and pleasant
woodlands; these are at their
most colourful in autumn.

n Mountains
of Mourne
Road map D2. Co Down. £ to
Newry. @ to Newcastle. n 10–14
Central Promenade, Newcastle (028
4372 2222). ∑ downdc.gov.uk
These mountains occupy just a
small corner of County Down,
Lady Bangor’s Gothic boudoir in Castle Ward on the Lecale Peninsula with no more than a dozen
peaks surpassing 600 m
v Lecale Peninsula Ardglass, offers a sweeping (2,000 ft), and yet they attract
panorama over Dundrum Bay. thousands of visitors each year.
Road map E2 Co Down. @ to
Ardglass. n Downpatrick (028 4461 P Castle Ward Only one road of any size, the
2233). ∑ discovernorthern B27 between Kilkeel and
ireland.com On A25, 2.5 km (1.5 miles) W of Hilltown, crosses the Mournes,
Strangford. Tel 028 4488 1204. making this ideal territory for
A good way to get to this part House: Open Easter, Jul & Aug: noon– walkers. A popular but tough
of County Down is to take a 5pm daily; Apr–Jun: noon–5pm Wed– trail runs from Newcastle, the
car ferry from Portaferry on the Sun; Sep & Oct: noon–5pm weekends. main gateway to the area, up to
& 7 - = Grounds: Open Oct–
Ards Peninsula to Strangford. the peak of Slieve Donard: at
Just outside this tiny port is Mar: 10am–4pm daily; Apr–Sep: 10am– 848 m (2,781 ft), this is the
8pm daily. ∑ nationaltrust.org.uk
Castle Ward, the estate of Lord highest mountain in the range.
and Lady Bangor, who seemed Part of the route follows the
to argue about everything – b Castlewellan Mourne Wall, which was
including the design of their erected in 1904–22 to enclose
18th-century mansion. His Forest Park the catchment area of the two
choice, Palladian, can be seen Road map D2. Main St, Castlewellan, reservoirs in the Silent Valley.
at the front, while her favourite Co Down. Tel 028 4377 8664. Open Over 20 short hikes are to
Gothic style influences the 10am–sunset daily. & for car park. be enjoyed in the area. These
garden façade. Likewise, range from easy strolls around
interiors are a mix of Classical The outstanding feature of Rostrevor Forest to rather more
and Gothic fantasy. Look out for Castlewellan Forest Park, in arduous treks up Slieve Muck
Lady Bangor’s cluttered boudoir, the foothills of the Mourne and other Mourne peaks.
with its extravagant fan-vaulted Mountains, is its magnificent Tourist information centres
ceiling based on Henry VIII’s arboretum. This has grown far will have details.
chapel in Westminster Abbey. beyond the original walled Some 35 km (22 miles) north
Around the grounds are trails, garden, begun in 1740, and of Newcastle, the Legananny
gardens, play areas and a farm- now comprises hothouses, Dolmen (see p36) is one of the
yard with a working corn mill. finest and most photo graphed
About 4 km (2.5 miles) south ancient sites in the country.
of Strangford, the A2 passes
Kilclief Castle, dating from
the 15th century, one of the
oldest tower houses (see p24)
in Ireland. The road continues
to Ardglass, now a small fishing
village but once Ulster’s
busiest harbour. A cluster of
castles was erected between
the 14th and 16th centuries to
protect the port, of which six
remain. St John’s Point, 6 km
(3.5 miles) southwest of Rounded peaks of the Mountains of Mourne
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp302–3 and pp323–5

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.9)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm