| Whether it be extreme sports, enjoying nature, or learning about history, there is something for everyone... |  |
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| Tollymore Forest Park |
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| Castlewellan Castle |
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| Mother of the Hill Grotto @ Windy Gap |
Click on the image below to see map of area attractions
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| -Click Here for Adventures in and Around Co. Down |
| -Click Here to Discover the History of Down and its past inhabitants |
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-Click Here for Shopping in Nearby Areas
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| NATURE
Enjoy the breath-taking beauty of the Mourne Mountains (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Co. Down and Surrounding Areas |
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Click Here to Discover the History of Down and its past inhabitants
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Parks
| Castlewellan Forest Park | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 5 minutes The Castlewellan grounds boasts one of the most outstanding tree and shrub collection in europe, a 2.5 mile long footpath around the grounds lake, as well as the Peace Maze, the worlds largest permanent hedge maze. |
| The Peace Maze @ Castlewellan Forest Park | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 5 minutes The Peace Maze is now officially the largest permanent hedge maze in the world, and covers an area of over 2.7 acres! A must see. |
| Gosford Forest Park | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 30 minutes |
| Hillsborough Forest Park | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 20 minutes Hillsborough Forest Park comprises 197 hectares of woodland that once belonged to the Downshire demesne. Today waymarked trails criss-cross the park through the woodland areas that circle a large lake. |
| Slieve Gullion Forest Park | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 30 minutes Eight-mile drive up and round this thickly wooded park. Mountain top trail (1,880 ft) to megalithic cairns and lake, with views of the Ring of Gullion, Mourne Mountains and Cooley Mountains. Walled garden. |
| Tollymore Forest Park | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 10 minutes Tollymore has a barn dressed up to look like a church, stone cones atop gate piers and gothic-style gate arches all show the influence of that highly individualistic designer, Thomas Wright of Durham (1711-1786), who was a friend of Lord Clanbrassil, owner of Tollymore at that time. A walk along the Shimna river is marked by many curiosities, natural and artificial - rocky outcrops, bridges, grottos and caves. Oak wood from Tollymore was the preferred material for the interiors of the White Star liners including the 'Titanic' which was built in Belfast. |
| Mourne Mountains | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 5 minutes "Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea" (Percy French) The popular song has made the Mournes the best known mountains in Ireland. Distinctive and self contained, they are tucked away in the south east corner of Northern Ireland, with 12 shapely summits rising above 2,000 ft on the eastern side. |
| Windy Gap | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 5 minutes Windy Gap, in the heart of Co. Down, lies on the eastern slopes of Slievenboley Mountain. To the south-east the Mourne Mountains rise dramatically from a sea of small rounded hills. To the east are the slopes of Slieve Croob where the River Lagan begins its short journey to Belfast and the open sea. The high ground of Slievenaboley Mountain and Deehommed Mountain to the north-west gives way to a green patchwork of more small rounded hills that stretch away as far as the eye can see. The stories behind the formation of these different landscapes include tales of molten rock, great sheets of ice, the collision of continents and a time span of hundreds of millions of years! |
| Trassey Track | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 10 minutes The Trassey Track is great for hiking enthusiasts and is part of "The Brandy Pad" a track created by the boots of smugglers and the hooves of heavily laden ponies, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries. Illicit cargoes of tobacco, wine, spirits, leather, silk and spices would be spirited through the mountains from the east coast to be distributed inland. So popular was the trade that by 1835 in the village of Hilltown, almost half the houses were pubs. |
| St Johns Point Light House | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 20 minutes Built 1884, under the direction of George Halpin. Originally 62ft. high, raised to 120ft. in 1893. Powered by whale oil, coal gas and from 1981, electricity; now automated. |
| Rowallane Garden | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 30 minutes An enchanting garden enclosed within a demesne landscape. It was laid out from the mid-1860's by the Reverend John Moore and afterwards by his nephew, the plantsman and selector Hugh Armytage Moore, who established and developed connections with seedsmen and botanic gardens throughout the world. |
| Mount Stewart House and Gardens | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 45 minutes The famous gardens at Mount Stewart were planted in the 1920s by Edith, Lady Londonderry, and are of international importance. The magnificent series of outdoor 'rooms' and vibrant parterres contain many rare plants that thrive in the mild climate of the Ards Peninsula. |
| Palace Stables Heritage Centre (Armagh) | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 45 minutes The Palace Stables Heritage centre is a wonderfully restored 18th Century Stable Block, formerly part of the estate belonging to the Archbishop's of Armagh right up until the 1970's. This fabulous vistor centre once was a bustle of servants, horses and carriages back in the latter part of the 18th century. Now you, the visitor, have the opportunity to relive what life was like back in the year 1786. |
| Murlough National Nature Reserve | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 10 minutes Murlough National Nature Reserve is a fragile 6000 year old sand dune system owned by the National Trust and managed as Ireland's first Nature Reserve since 1967. It is an excellent area for walking and bird watching due to its spectacular location at the edge of Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains. |
| Quoile Countryside Centre | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 20 minutes The Quoile Pondage National Nature Reserve is situated just outside Downpatrick on either side of the Quoile River. The Pondage was created in 1957 by the construction of a tidal barrier to prevent flooding in the Downpatrick area. Today there is a diversity of habitat and wildlife that make the Quoile a great location to visit. Facilities at the reserve include the Quoile Countryside Centre with displays on the wildlife and history of the area. There are also many features of historical interest within the reserve including Quoile Quay situated close to the centre. |
| Kilbroney National Nature Reserve | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 20 minutes Riverside walks, arboretum. Two-mile forest drive to panoramic views over Carlingford Lough. Information area and Cafe. |
| Exploris Aquarium | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 60 minutes Encounter unexpected marine life on a journey from Strangford Lough into the depths of the Irish Sea |
| Seaforde Tropical Butterfly House | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 15 minutes In Seaforde Gardens, there is a large flight area with hundreds of free-flying exotic butterflies. Reptiles and insects are also available to view, behind glass. The Tropical Butterfly House is set in beautiful grounds, with avenues of mature trees, a maze set in the middle of an old walled garden, many examples of tropical plans, a play area and many other attractions. |
| Blue Flag Beaches | |
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From golden sands to pebbled shores Northern Ireland boasts some of the most beautiful coastland in Europe. With stunning natural formations and picturesque backdrops there is something to suit every mood and activity; whether it's walking amongst the sand dunes, lazing on the white sands or exploring the rock pools. Every haven of the glorious coastline is unique and unforgettable. |
| North Down Coastal Path | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 40 minutes North Down Coastal Path extends from Holywood in the east to Orlock in the west. The path passes through coastline and parkland. Historic relics and flora and fauna are found in abundance, including the grey seals which can be spotted offshore. |
| Tyrella Beach | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 15 minutes Tyrella beach and conservation area is a small, enclosed dune complex within Dundrum Bay. It is a wide, flat, sandy beach two kilometres long and backed by 25 hectares of mature dunes in a conservation area. The beach offers a car free zone, off-beach parking, safe bathing, ranger service, amenities, walks, beach entertainment, shop and tourist information. |
| Cranfield West | |
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Drive Time From The Old Post Office: 30 minutes Cranfield West offers a gently sloping, mainly sandy beach located at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, an area designated as being of Special Scientific Interest. Set in an idyllic location at the mouth of Carlingford Lough this south facing beach boasts the majestic Mourne Mountains as a backdrop. |