Portaferry Portaferry Walking Guide visitstrangfordlough.co.uk BElfastOWN AR& DS Portaferry NEWT oad h R ac Map Co t Anne Street e re t S h 6 OUGHEY rc CL u h C Aquarium 5 Ashmount The Square 2 High Street 1 4 Meeting Hou 16 3 Sho 15 e St re R se Lane d Castl 8 7 y St 13 14 r er F Strangford 12 Ballyphilip Road Ferry 9 Terminal 11 Steel Dickson Av Marina 18 10 W indmill Hill VIEWPOINT WINDMILL Sho 17 r e R d STRANGFORD LOUGH eet e Str Cook Sho r e R 1 Portaferry Castle and d Visitor Information Centre Cooke 2 The Northern Ireland Aquarium Street 3 Credit Union Jetty 4 Market House 5 St Cooey’s Oratory 6 Ballyphilip Parish Church and Temple Craney Graveyard 7 National School 8 The Presbyterian Church and Portico 9 Steel Dickson Avenue 10 Joseph Tomelty Blue Plaque 11 Blaney’s Shop 12 Dumigan’s Pub 13 Methodist Church 14 The Watcher 15 RNLI Lifeboat Station 16 Queens University and Belfast Marine Laboratory Additional Route (Follow Arrows) 17 The View Point Additional Route Please note that this map is not 18 Tullyboard Windmill to scale and is for reference only Portaferry Walking Guide Historical Walking Trail of Portaferry, Co Down The main route consists of flat The tour will last approximately concrete footpaths with pedestrian one hour. For your convenience, crossing opportunities. Please be there are also public toilets and a aware when crossing the road and wide range of cafes and restaurants keep an eye out for traffic at all times. in Portaferry. We hope you enjoy learning more about the area. Be sure to look out for the other walking guides in the series. These can be downloaded from www.visitstrangfordlough.co.uk along with ideas on what to see and do in the area. We appreciate your comments and suggestions so please contact us via the website. Let’s begin the walking trail Portaferry Castle and Visitor Information Centre 1 From your starting point at the Visitor and floors being originally of wood. Information Centre, stand for a moment It formed the focus of the sizeable to consider Portaferry Castle, a fine estate of the Savage family and example of a tower house fortified home. remained inhabited until 1765. It is Take in the view from the site as it in the care of the Northern Ireland overlooks the Narrows with a good view Environment Agency and access is of Strangford, Audley’s castles and Castle permitted during the summer season. Ward across the lough. It was probably The Visitor Information Centre building built in the early 16th century, for one of has seen many uses. It was a stable the Savage family with an unusual “L” block and had a large coach house/ shaped plan. It is of square design with garage area where the main information one projecting tower to the south. Here desk is currently situated. There were the entrance is defended by a small arch originally no internal stairs in the shaped machicolation. A machicolation is building and the first floor was reached a floor opening between the supporting by a perpendicular iron rung ladder from corbels of a battlement, through which the stalls area. It appears there may stones, or other objects, could be dropped also have been an external staircase on attackers at the base of a defensive which provided access by one of the wall. Similar to earlier towers, it has loft doors. The floor timber in the coach spiral stairs, but like later ones, lacks house actually sat over an under floor a stone vault ceiling, all the ceilings fresh water tank. During the Second Pages 2 – 3 Portaferry Castle and Visitor Information Centre continued... 1 World War, it was used by an RAF air sea floor was set up as stage area with a rescue unit who provided entertainment bank of spotlights and had a small bar, for the people of the town. Recollections complete with a thatched roof and of the time say that one half of the top paintings of hula girls on the wall! The Northern Ireland Aquarium 2 From here turn right, walk up the steps Around that time there were 30 vessels through the gate and you will find carrying to the ports around Strangford yourself in Castle Street. Turning left, Lough. Cargoes of wheat and barley were you will see to your left the entrance to exported to places such as Liverpool and the The Northern Ireland Aquarium and Dublin. The Northern Ireland Aquarium car park. This short walk along the road is Northern Ireland’s only aquarium and to The Northern Ireland Aquarium from seal sanctuary, presents the wonders Castle Street is known as Rope Walk, so of Strangford Lough and the coastline named as it was here that ropes were through an enjoyable experience and is made for the very important ship-building well worth a visit. The aquarium also has industry in Portaferry in the 18th century. a café on site. The Northern Ireland Aquarium Portaferry Walking Guide Credit Union Building 3 Back out onto Castle Street you will of the town’s fish market. In 1870 the notice to your right Portaferry Credit Union Portaferry Orange and Protestant Hall Building just a little further up the hill. was built on land purchased from the Two hundred years ago this was the site Nugent Estate. Market House 4 Shortly after this landmark, you come to revenue cutter “Buckingham” moored in The Square. Markets and fairs were held Strangford Lough. The Market House is now here on a regular basis. On the west side used as a community centre and a country standing prominently on its own is the market is held every Saturday morning, Market House. Built in 1752 by Andrew selling local foods, plants and crafts. Savage, in a Neo –Classical style, the On the opposite side of The Square, the upstairs was used by the town’s Literary former Northern Bank building was at a Society and later as a petty sessions court. time a small hotel owned by the Savage During the United Irish rebellion of 1798, and Nugent families. It is now the office the building was defended by a small of the Strangford Lough and Lecale garrison under the command of Captain Partnership. Matthews and supported by fire from the St Cooey’s Oratory and Templecraney Graveyard 5 In the Square you will also see St Cooey’s Presbyterian Church whose Royalist Oratory – a very modern building on your minister, the Reverend John Drysdale right hand side close to the Fire Station. was arrested by a Cromwellian officer. Built in 1968 by the architects, McLean Around 1662, after the restoration and Forte, the design resembles the shape of the monarchy, he was deposed for of a boat, and is dedicated to St Cooey, a non-conformity and the church was local saint. given over to the Church of Ireland and remained in use until 1787 when the As you leave the square, continue to present Parish Church was built. walk up Church Street and look for wrought-iron gates on your left, Brewery Yard which is located past the including an old gate into a graveyard, graveyard and close to the Police Station known as Templecraney. A medieval is of interest. In the 1840’s Portaferry church is thought to have originally boasted its own distillery, brewery and stood on this site, but it is probably scutch mill which were all located in better known as the first site of a what is now Brewery Yard. Pages 4 – 5 Ballyphilip Parish Church 6 The entrance to Ballyphilip Parish Church Leaving the grounds of the church, is directly opposite Templecraney on the continue onwards up Church Street and other side of the road. The present building at the roundabout, turn right into Anne originally had a lofty spire but in 1810 this Street. At the top, turn right into High had become so dangerous it had to be Street where, opposite the chemists shop removed. The church replaced an earlier Portaferry’s former cinema was opened one on the Cloughey Road, dedicated to by the Hinds family in 1923 and operated St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. until 1988. National School 7 As you meet the top of The Square, turn with perhaps its greatest achievement left into Meetinghouse Lane and just past being a significant increase in literacy the car park (where bonded warehouses during the 19th century. This building once stood), you will see the old National is now owned by the Presbyterian School. Established in 1831 it provided Church. The Presbyterian Church can education for all children between the be seen on the opposite corner of Steel ages of 6 and 12, the National School Dickson Avenue. system provided a good basic education PORTICO Portaferry Walking Guide The Presbyterian Church and Portico 8 Having lost their original place columns and pulpit while discreetly of worship at Templecraney, the incorporating 21st century comforts and Presbyterians erected a meeting house technology. The fully refurbished organ of their own on the site now occupied features a beautifully designed modern by the present church. One of the first console and glass panels reveal the seven Presbyterian meeting houses in inner workings. Co. Down, it was rebuilt in 1751 and again in 1839 after the “Night of the Big Owned and run by the charity Friends Wind” on 6-7 January did untold damage of Portaferry Presbyterian Church, throughout Ireland.