View of Scrabo Newtownards Walking Guide visitstrangfordlough.co.uk Newtownards Map 2 6 1 Old Regent House 1 2 St Mark’s Parish Church 14 3 The Ards Hospital (The Old Workhouse) 3 5 4 A view of Scrabo Tower 5 Regency Gift House, Library (The Queen’s Hall) and Open and Direct Building 4 12 13 11 Strean Presbyterian Church 6 Conway 7 The Market Cross Square 8 Movilla Abbey (Extended Tour Route) 9 The War Memorial and Rose Garden 10 Newtownards Priory 8 11 The Blair Mayne Statue 12 The Ards TT (Tourist Trophy) 7 To Movilla Abbey 13 Ards Arts Centre 14 The Old Brewery/ Visitor Information Centre and Ards Crafts 9 10 Please note that this map is not to scale and is for reference only Newtownards Walking Guide Historical Walking Trail of Newtownards, Co Down This tour begins at the Visitor surface over grass to the Movilla Information Centre on Regent Abbey site. Please be aware when Street located beside the bus crossing the road and keep an station (point 14). eye out for traffic at all times. The tour will last approximately The main route consists of one hour. For your convenience, flat concrete footpaths with there are also public toilets pedestrian crossing opportunities. and a wide range of cafes and If you extend your walk please restaurants in Newtownards. be aware of a gradual incline along footpaths with an uneven 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. Just to set the scene, let’s start with a little history about Newtownards Location Early Settlements Situated 10 miles from Belfast, The first settlers in the area came Newtownards, nestling at the from either North West England foot of the Craigantlet Hills, has or the Isle of Man. They used the Strangford Lough at its heart and lough and its resources such as overlooks the northern shores of fish, seals and berries as their the Ards peninsula. source of food. Finnian, a pupil of Saint Mochai who was converted by St Patrick, founded his own monastery at Movilla, to the east of Newtownards in 540AD. Pages 2 – 3 Newtownards: Royal Charter Hugh Montgomery (1560 – In 1613, King James I granted 1636) was the Ayrshire Scot ‘Royal Charters’ to 40 towns who along with fellow Scottish across Ireland (14 now in lowlander, James Hamilton Northern Ireland and 26 in the (1559- 1644), made the crossing Republic of Ireland). The town of from Portpatrick to Donaghadee Newtownards was among them. in 1606, bringing with them the While the original Charter has first wave of Scots whose number long been lost, an early Latin would reach 10,000 in the course copy of the document does exist of the next few years. and an English translation reveals They began the Royal-approved King James declared that, from 25 settlement of lands in the East March 1613: of Ulster. The granting of the “the aforesaid town of Newtowne Royal Charter was a reward for in the Ardes aforesaid and all and the extent and speed of the singular castles, messuages, tofts, settlement and Montgomery was mills, houses, edifices, structures, made First Viscount of the Great curtilages, gardens, orchard Ardes on 3rd May 1622. gardens, waste grounds, lands, While Montgomery was named tenements and hereditaments as the first Provost, the “first and whatsoever lying or being in or modern twelve free burgesses within the said town of Newtowne of the aforesaid borough” were aforesaid or in or within the declared by King James to be precincts of the same town in “George Conigham, Patrick Showe, the County of Down aforesaid Patrick Mountgomerie, David henceforth be and for future Kenidie, Thomas Mountgomerie, times in perpetuity shall be an William Mountgomerie, Robert entire and free borough of itself Conigham, Robert Mountgomerie, by the name of the borough Alexander Gordovne, James of Newtowne”. Doncan, William Callender and For the first time, the town of George Gibson”. Newtowne held Borough status. The provost and burgesses had With it came the establishment “the full power and authority of “a body corporate and politic” to elect, send and return two consisting of a provost and twelve discreet and fit men to serve burgesses – the equivalent of our and attend in every parliament current Mayor and Councillors. in our said Kingdom of Ireland hereafter to be held”. As well as The Charter goes on to name this right to return two members the first Provost of Newtowne as to parliament, the new corporate “Huge Mountgomerie, Knight”. body could also “hold a Court in Newtownards Walking Guide View from Scrabo Hill in Newtownards some convenient and The status came into being open place within the formally from noon on the 23rd aforesaid borough”. day of May 1938 when the first meeting of the new Borough In the 19th century the Council was held and the first Municipal Corporations Act Mayor, Councillor W H Simms, (Ireland) 1840 was passed by was elected. Parliament and the new law dissolved all but 10 of the When 1973 brought local existing 68 boroughs in Ireland. government reform in Northern The Borough of Newtownards Ireland, a district council whose was among them. area included an existing municipal borough could In March 1937, the then resolve to adopt the Charter of Newtownards Urban District the old municipality and thus Council took advantage of a continue to enjoy Borough change in the law brought about status. The new authority by the Municipal Corporations representing the Ards therefore Act (Northern Ireland) 1926 became Ards Borough Council. and petitioned the Governor of The population now stands Northern Ireland for the grant around 78078. of a Charter of Incorporation which would see the town once In 2015, following the Review again designated as a Borough. of Public Administration, the 26 Following a recommendation local government councils in by the Privy Council of Northern N Ireland were reduced to 11, Ireland to the Governor, James with Ards Borough Council and Albert Edward, Duke of Abercorn, North Down Borough Council Newtownards was granted amalgamating to form Ards and its Borough status by royal North Down Borough Council. prerogative during the reign of George VI. Pages 4 – 5 Let’s begin the walking trail At the Visitor Information Centre, turn to your right and continue passing by the bus station. Old Regent House 1 On your right, set back from the road, Located on land given to Lord is a large building constructed in 1820 as Montgomery by the King during the a home for the owner of the town brewery, early 1600’s, the old Regent House Peter Johnston. The building later became building is one of the few examples of the first site of Regent House School. Greek Revival architecture in County It takes its name from the “Prince Regent” Down. It boasts many spectacular who visited Newtownards to open Regent cornice ceilings along with a Street which is the main thoroughfare breathtaking ornate dome situated through the town. above a traditional split staircase. Now continue along your route as far as the traffic lights and cross the road on William Street. Saint Mark’s Church 2 Saint Mark’s Parish Church, “the prettiest The Londonderry family contributed to building in the town” as classed in the the cost of St Mark’s and their family notes to the first Ordnance Survey maps crest is carved above the west door. in 1832, was constructed of Scrabo The weavers of Newtownards donated a stone in 1817. The building is a good rose window in 1868. The east window example of Planter’s Gothic architecture. commemorates the fallen in the First It cost some £5446 to build. Scottish World War and the baptistery was colonists worshipped in the Priory church donated in 1966 as a memorial to Dame on Court Street, then moved to Saint Edith Helen, Dowager Marchioness of Mark’s in the eighteenth century when Londonderry. the building was completed. To retain continuity, one of the windows of the Priory was re-constructed in the south transept of the new church. Now cross Church Street at the traffic lights and walk the short distance as far as the gateposts and large entrance. Newtownards Walking Guide Ards Hospital 3 [The Old Workhouse] keep looking for gainful employment outside the walls of the workhouse. The dark grey building visible from the main entrance to the hospital constitutes However, despite efforts to reduce the remains of the workhouse. It has now occupancy, the numbers swelled greatly been renovated to become part of the during the Irish famine. Designed by hospital unit. Access to the workhouse is George Wilkinson to hold 600 people, by permission only. the workhouse held over 1000 residents at one point. Opened in 1842 as part of the Poor Law Act 1838, the site was built to During the 20th century, the infirmary accommodate 600 people. Called the poor wing and fever block were put to use to man’s jail, the workhouse was one of 43 treat any poor, sick person in the area and such establishments constructed in Ulster. not just in-mates who were ill. In 1932 an It was a much regimented environment Edinburgh doctor, Alexander Calder, took with males, females and children separated over the hospital expanding its facilities from each other on entry. Life was made as and capabilities and it gained a good difficult as possible so that residents would reputation for treatment and care.