The Arts Society South West Northern Ireland 23 28 June 2019 From 1125 per person ITINERARY Sunday 23 June 2019 We depart from Bristol airport on our early afternoon flight to Belfast. Upon arrival we will join our coach and have an orientation coach tour of Belfast, a city whose splendid civic architecture is often overlooked, before we transfer to our comfortable hotel. Dinner will be served at the hotel in the evening. Monday 24 June 2019 This morning following breakfast, we spend the day touring in County Antrim. We travel to the scenic Antrim coast, where we visit Glenarm Castle, the 400 year-old home of the Viscount and Viscountess Dunluce and their family. The present castle has been in the McDonnell family since it was first built in 1636. The McDonnells have been in Glenarm for nearly 600 years and the Estate has been in the family for 400 years. In the house you will see superb examples of Irish furniture as well as portraits of family members from the early 17th Century through to the present day. Originally created to supply the Castle with its fruit and vegetables, The Walled Garden is now filled with exciting flowers and specimen plants. Following this we continue to the Giant s Causeway, where an impressive new National Trust visitor centre has enhanced this famous beauty spot. The 37,000 hexagonal basaltic columns were created by ancient volcanic eruptions some 60 million years ago, along the same chain of seismic activity that created Fingal s Cave on Staffa, a hundred miles or so to the north. Of course, there is also a more romantic explanation that it was built by the giant Finn McCool, as the consequence of a gargantuan spat with a Scottish adversary, although another version of the legend has it that he was merely trying to reach his girlfriend. Either way it is an impressive sight. Lunch is available here (not included). In the afternoon we head inland for the gardens at Benvarden in Ballymoney. Here we find a rose garden, a box and lavender parterre, a well-stocked kitchen garden with hot houses; a vinery, melon house and espalier-trained apple trees against the high curved brick walls. We return to our hotel where dinner is served this evening.
Tuesday 25 June 2019 This morning, following breakfast, we begin with a visit to Rowallane Garden. The first impression is one of mystery as you approach the house through a dark tunnel of conifers and rhododendrons, but this is quickly dispelled by the flower-filled spectacle which opens up before you. This afternoon, we will travel to the southern tip of Strangford Lough, where Castle Ward sits in a wooded valley with a memorable view towards the lough. Due to the differing tastes of its owners, Lord Bangor and his wife Lady Ann Bligh, the 18 th -century mansion is built in two contrasting architectural styles, the Classical façade to the lawn and the Gothic facing Strangford Lough, making this one of the strangest architectural compromises created between two people. After our tour of the mansion there will be free time to explore the garden, which is chiefly Victorian in character. Close to the house is a walled terraced garden filled with exotic planting, Acca sellowiana, Beschorneria yuccoides and large old plants of cabbage palm. Behind a screen of Irish yews a rock garden with dwarf conifers runs along one side of a mid 19 th century pinetum with immense Wellingtonias. We then continue to our next visit, Ballywalter Park, an Italianate palazzo mansion constructed by Charles Lanyon for Andrew Mulholland, great, great, great grandfather of the present owner. Through a careful process of restoration, dedication and enthusiasm Ballywalter Park is probably in as good a condition now as when it was originally built all those years ago and offers an opportunity to see how Victorian grandeur is matched with a contemporary twist. We return to our hotel where dinner will be served this evening.
Wednesday 26 June 2019 Following breakfast, we travel to Mount Stewart, which in 2017 unveiled the newly restored Central Hall floor and stunning Rome bedroom. Here we will see collections of international and national significance and one of the most significant silver displays in the National Trust s care. Exquisite family collections are on show including works by Lawrence, Brock and Stubbs. Following our tour of the house we will explore the dazzling and idiosyncratic gardens which bask in the micro-climate of low rainfall and humid coastal air that exists here. This is one of the most attractive and stimulating gardens, where traditional features are carried off with exuberance and panache. This afternoon we transfer to Grey Abbey House, which is considered to be one of the finest Georgian country houses in Ireland and has remained in the possession of the Montgomery family since 1607. The central portion of the house was built in 1762 by William Montgomery, whose portrait hangs in the dining room, depicting a solemn-looking man holding what is believed to be the architect s invoice! The house retains many interesting architectural features and fine 18th century plasterwork. We continue to Clandeboye Estate. These include the delightful Bee Garden, the Chapel Walk and the intimate Conservatory Garden. In the Bee Garden you will find a selection of Old Irish Variety apple trees surrounding an area of wild-flower meadow on which stands a Georgian style bee house. The walls of the Conservatory Garden help create a warmer environment and so you will find more exotic plants and trees both inside the conservatory and in the adjoining garden. Further afield are the woodland gardens which display a large collection of Rhododendrons and other exotic species suited to the unique mild climate of this part of County Down. We return to our hotel where dinner is served in the evening.
Thursday 27 June 2019 Today, following breakfast, we head for the Ulster Museum. As Northern Ireland's treasure house of the past and the present, the Ulster Museum is home to a rich collection of art, history and natural sciences and is free to all visitors. The revitalised museum tells the story of the people of the north of Ireland from earliest times to the present day. In the afternoon, we visit Belfast Botanic Gardens. First established in 1828, the gardens have been enjoyed as a public park by the people of Belfast since 1895. There is an extensive rose garden and long herbaceous borders and the tree enthusiast can seek out the rare oaks planted in the 1880s, including the hornbeam-leafed oak. Following this visit, we head for the Queens University Belfast. Opened in 1845, with a reputation as one of the United Kingdom s oldest universities, we will have access to the University s historic buildings, such as The Lanyon Building. The building s front façade is instantly recognisable and is often seen on banknotes, billboards and tourist posters. The campus contains over 100 buildings which are listed as being of special architectural and historic merit. We return to the hotel where dinner is served in the evening.
Friday 28 June 2019 This morning following breakfast, we check out of the hotel and travel to the Titanic Experience, a state-of-the-art, six storey living monument to Belfast s moving maritime legacy, built at the head of the slipways from which Titanic was launched. The stories of the two great sister ships built and launched here, RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, are told in a series of displays, including a Titanic Experience' exhibition and an immersive theatre', which simulates diving underwater to explore the wreck. Learn about the men who built the ship that was hailed as the new wonder of the world and gain an insight into their daily lives during the construction. This afternoon we visit the HMS Caroline, Belfast s newest attraction, where we will see a dynamic film showing the drama and devastation a battle can bring. We can also explore the impressively recreated cabins that have been restored as if the crew left the ship yesterday, listen in on the everyday sounds in the Captain s and Senior Officers cabins and enjoy interactive exhibits throughout the ship. We then transfer to the airport in time for our flight back to Bristol. Included in the price Five nights dinner, bed and breakfast at a 4-star hotel Dunadry Hotel, County Antrim. All rooms have private facilities. Return flights from Bristol to Belfast Visits to the Giant s Causeway, Benvarden House, Glenarm Castle, Rowallane Gardens, Castle Ward, Ballywalter Park, Mount Stewart, Clandeboye Estate, Grey Abbey House, Ulster Museum, Belfast Botanic Gardens, the Titanic Experience and HMS Caroline Comfortable coaching in Northern Ireland Services of Trevor Edwards as Brightwater Holidays Tour Manager Not included in the price (per person) Single supplement 200.00 Insurance TBA