North Down Christian Heritage Trail
North Down & Ards Borough Council is offering both a bus and a walking tour of their Christian Heritage Trail this summer.
The area is rich in Christian heritage stretching as far back to 558AD with the foundation of Bangor Abbey.
From these early beginnings Christianity in the area has had a varied development, from suffering attacks at the hands of Vikings in the 9th Century through to the growth of Presbyterianism during the Ulster Plantations in the 17th Century. The era of industrialisation and the advent of the railways saw the area grow further and with it the construction of a plethora of churches, something that has continued to this day.
As well as Bangor Abbey, the trail includes other Down and Dromore parishes, St Columbanus, Ballyholme (dedicated to Saint Columbanus, the most famous missionary saint to be educated at Bangor Abbey) and Movilla Abbey.
For more about the trail click here.
As well as the sites being open to the public for tours and viewing during the summer, there will be two guided tours of the Trail taking place:
Bus Tour 17th July
Walking Tour 24th August
Sites open for guided tours during July & August.
The Trail also makes up an integral part of the wider Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s St Patrick’s/Christian Heritage Trail signature project, covering a 60-mile driving route which takes in various heritage sites from Bangor through Ards, to Downpatrick, Newry and Armagh.
For further information on the Trail and tours, contact the Bangor Tourist Information Centre, tel. 9127 0069, or email: tic@north down.gov.uk; the Ards Tourist Information Centre, tel. 9182 6846, or email: tourism@ ards-council.gov.uk.