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ARDGLASS |
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ARDGLASS is set on the side of a lovely natural inlet. Its domestic
buildings, rising steeply from the harbour ( ard glas in Irish means
"the green height"), are interspersed with seven fortified mansions,
towers and turrets. These date from a vigorous English revival in the
sixteenth century, when a trading company first arrived to found a
colony here. The best preserved of the fortifications, and the only one
open for visits, is Jordan's Castle , next door to the Anchor pub on the
Low Rd (July & Aug Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 2-6pm; 75p). The most elegant
and highly developed of all the Down tower houses, this has recently
been renovated - all whitewashed walls and massive ceiling beams - and
has regular exhibitions on local history. The tall, crenellated building
with white plaster trimming up on the hill was once King's Castle ; its
nineteenth-century renovation is obvious, as is modern work to turn it
into a nursery. The lone ornamental-looking turret on the hilltop is
Isabella's Tower , a nineteenth-century folly created by Aubrey de Vere
Beauclerc as a gazebo for his disabled daughter.
In the nineteenth century, Ardglass was the most thriving fishing port
in the North; and even today, aside from the prawns, herrings and
whitefish brought in by the fishing fleet, there's very good rod fishing
to be had off the end of the pier for codling, pollack and coalfish.
Even the Spar supermarket on the quay is wonderfully stocked with a vast
range of seafood (scallops, monkfish, oysters, salmon, and more), enough
in itself to entice a quick shopping visit. It's also sometimes possible
to buy direct from fishing boats or from the cannery on the quay. The
old inn , the Commercial , on the main street has a well that is still
in use; it's covered over with glass on the lounge floor. You can eat
well at the popular Aldo's Italian restaurant , 7 Castle Place, which
serves evening meals (Tues-Sun 5-10pm). Campers are catered for at Coney
Island Caravan Park (tel 028/4484 1448) and there's B&B at Burford Lodge
, 30 Quay St (tel 028/4484 1141; £33-40), a Georgian building on the
seafront; and The Cottage (tel 028/4484 1080; £26-33), next door to
Aldo's .
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