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HILLSBOROUGH |
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The historic village of HILLSBOROUGH , just a mile off the main A1
road and twelve miles southwest of Belfast, merits a quick detour. Its
main street has a chintzy, Middle English ambience, reinforced by a
sprinkling of tea rooms and antique shops. You get the best of
Hillsborough by following a route that starts from the war memorial (where
regular Ulsterbus services from Newry and Belfast stop) and heads up the
magnificent approach to the rather spooky parish church . Bear right
here for the main entrance to Hillsborough's elegant but ruined fort (April-Sept
Tues-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 2-7pm; Oct-March Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 2-4pm;
free), constructed by Colonel Arthur Hill (after whom the village is
named) in 1650 and remodelled in the eighteenth century as a fun palace.
Beyond this, a deciduous forest opens up, curving around a lake stocked
with brown and rainbow trout. Footpaths meander through the trees in all
directions - a circuit of the lake takes around an hour.
Exiting via the car park, a driveway brings you out near the White
Gables Hotel (tel 028/9268 2755; over £130), beyond which you'll notice
a statue on a raised column, master of all it beholds - the third
Marquis of Downshire, erstwhile owner of the estate. A right turn at the
end of the drive brings you back into town, with Hillsborough Castle (April-Sept;
call 028/9268 1300 for times; £5) on your left. Frankly, the ornate
gates are the best part - and even these were transferred from Richhill
in 1936. The mansion itself dates from 1797, and from 1925 to 1973 was
the residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland. Since then it's been
used mainly to house visiting diplomats, although it hit the headlines
when the Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed here in 1985. More recently,
Tony Blair stayed here during the April 1997 peace settlement talks, and
the castle is now the official residence of the British Secretary of
State for Northern Ireland.
Back on The Square, Hillsborough's tourist office (Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm,
July & Aug also Sun 2-6pm; tel 028/9268 9717) is housed in the elegant
Georgian courthouse , which also now features a mildly interesting
exhibition on the court system. By this time you'll be in need of
refreshment , for which the Plough Inn across The Square is recommended.
A little further down, the Hillside Inn , built in 1777, serves more
substantial fare in a Victorian-style dining room. Best of all is the
Red Fox tea shop (closed July) at the bottom of the hill, through an
arch and behind a boutique of the same name. When you've finished here,
you'll be back where you began, at the war memorial. However, if you
want to stay there's camping three miles southeast at Lakeside View , 71
Magheraconluce Rd, Annahilt (Easter-Oct; tel 028/92682098) and a number
of small B&Bs scattered around.
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