When you live in Newtownards you will pass the building a million and one times but not really…read morenotice it - which is a real shame as this is a historical building and part of the history and heritage of Newtownards. These are the remains of a Dominican Priory founded in 1244. Hugh Montgomery established a newtown within the grounds of the old priory and this flourished and was used as a central area for the new market town. The restoration of the building began in 1609 by Montgomery and this can be seen within the building on a carved stone. The ruins of the old tower and part of this old building can still be seen. If you look closely you can see Montgomery's monogram ad some bible references etched into the stone. In 1988 part of the old door was restored by the Ulster Heritage Center and the door will be opened on request, it is worth a look as this is a fine example of our ulster-Scot heritage and was, at one time, a big tourist attraction.

As other reviewers have said The Priory is slap bang in the middle of Newtownards yet you could…read morepass it without even registering as an important part of our culture and heritage. Although the budget is tight down at the old Tourist board they could do with digging into their pockets and forking out for a few signs to properly promote this place. The reason I say this is that The Priory is actually a really interesting place, I did not realise the significance of this place until I paid it a long overdue visit. The Priory is an example of a Dominican (Black) Piory and is one of the only remaining examples in Northern Ireland. The Priory is worth a visit if only for the convenience of the place, whether you are a day-tripper or a local The priory will at very least give you an insight into the regions culture.

Every town has a saviour or a hero. Newtownards has Blair…read moreMayne, Belfast has Julian from UTV, The east end of London has Peggy Mitchell and of course Comber has 'Rollo' Gillespie! This famous 18th century resident of Comber is reported to have slayed 6 out of 8 men (the other two ran away!) while he was attacked in his home during a spell abroad for the army. He was a savvy fellow who led platoons into battle and it is believed that when he was killed during an attack on the Ghurka army, the whole mission fell apart without him! The statue stands tall and proud in the center of Comber today reminding everyone who passes of this famous and brave local man.

The Rollo Gillespie Monument dominates Comber town centre, having said that Comber town centre was…read moreonce dominated by a flock of 5 pigeons. The pigeons like Rollo Gillespie stood their ground and refused to go without a fight. Eventually they were scared off by a few of the towns people. The same can not be said about the famous Rollo Gillespie, legend has it that he Whilst leading an attack in the Himalayas Gillespie continued fighting despite having no ammunition and shouting, "One Shot More for the Honour of Down!" This gave him hero's status in the town of Comber and in turn they erected the Monument in 1845 that stands in the town centre. A list of the battles Rollo was involved in are on the side of the pillar. Rollo was born in 1766 in Comber and never lost the towns fighting spirit.

The tower itself is closed to the public but the grounds are accessible at any time,I'm not a hippy…read moreor anything but I really want to get up early some morning in the summer and walk up to scrabo tower and have a bowl of cornflakes as the sun rises. The views on a sunny day are fantastic over Belfast,comber and the Irish sea. The walks through the quarries and through killyneither woods are long and challenging in places, great for a bit of exercise and peace and quiet , bring food and a disposable bbq there's lots of picnic tables throughout the park. Great place to bring your kids or walk your dog. Would benefit from a shop here for drinks and snacks. You can have dinner in the golf club though.

The price is 5 pound it's good you get to walk up to the top went a hour ago just to look inside it…read morewas fun haven't been in while that's why I went today

Not that long ago I would not even have noticed a war memorial in a town square - I think it's one…read moreof those things you are either fascinated by as a child or not interested in at all. It is only as an adult, when the harsh reality of life and death bite you on the bum that you begin to appreciate the heroic effort that some men went to to fight for their country. This memorial is very fitting indeed as it stands below the statue of a great war hero and local chap - Rollo Gillespie. Whilst in his shadow and in the tranquility of the gardens of the town hall people can come to pay respects to the soldiers who fought. A nice tribute in the centre of town but in a quite enough area that it commands peace and respect.

It looks like a jewelry box but it's actually the Jaffe Memorial Fountain. Striking and brightly…read morecolorful it was originally erected in 1874 by Sir Otto Jaffe to honor his father, Daniel Jaffe. It was initially placed in Victoria Square but was later moved to the Botanic Gardens, where it remained until 2008 It is intricate and elegant, made of Portland stone with each of the smaller columns featuring a female figure that represents each of the four seasons. It stands at the Victoria Street entrance to the Victoria Square shopping center. The original yellow and white were apparently selected to reflect the aesthetic preferences of the Victorian era, as these were popular colors to symbolize purity and light and optimism. It is indeed a fountain but in September it was dry. I'm not sure if it is ever filled with water. [Review 1883 of 2024 - 866 in United Kingdom - 22905 overall]

I bet you've walked past this wee gem hundreds of times but never given it a second look, I'm right…read morearen't I? Well now it's time to be enlightened. This is the Jaffa Fountain, not named after everyone's favourite cake/biscuit but actually named after Belfast's first Lord Mayor Otto Jaffa. The fountain itself was actually built in 1879 and it was erected in its current location, but here's the strange part. As industrial and commercial Belfast grew it was moved out to Botanic Gardens - mature students might recognise it from those days. Once Victoria Square was commissioned the decision was made to bring the old fellow back to its rightful place. I for one am glad they did as I think it provides a welcome nod to Belfast's past in the centre of its current commercial renaissance.

Start by walking along the Promenade or Beach toward the Castle…read more Admire the broad view as it stretches and hugs the coastline. Step over to Fenella beach on the other side of the harbor and climb up a few rough steps to the pathway that circles the Castle. It's a very even path and there are great views of the ocean and rocks all around the Castle. You may even see a basking shark or the resident Dolphins. The pathway will take you round to the carpark and entrance. Now go inside, collect your audio thingy and scamper around the castle - but watch out for rabbit holes. The ruins are fantastic and there is not a bad view which ever way you turn. You will see the pathway below around the Castle. Doing inside and out with take about 1.5 hours. There are plenty of benches in the grounds for weary legs.

Next stop on our highlight tour of the Isle of Man, only an hour away from the capital Douglas, is…read morethe relaxed seaside town of Peel. One of the biggest draw cards to come here is Peel Castle. The proud remains of this stronghold dominate the harbour front and the view from the old castle walls is spectacular. The entrance to the vast grounds is through the old gatehouse. After paying 5 pounds at the ticket booth, you can explore the site on your own. An audio guide is included in the entrance fee and at various points you will find numbers that you can key into your device for a lot of interesting facts and figures. Luckily, the most famous resident of the castle Moddey Dhoo - the howling black ghost dog -was well behind bars and did not trouble the visitors, only a very friendly black cat showed up and was very keen to accompany people around the castle. So why should you come here? Well first of all, it is a great place to soak up the atmosphere, learn about the Viking heritage of the Manx island or about the early Christianization, but beside that it is also a great place to relax. We visited the castle on a bright sunny day and we walked around for nearly 2 hours sitting on the green grass, enjoying the views over the island and the Irish Sea, listening to our audio guides and chatting with other visitors. So, if you are into history and like ancient castles with a view, this place is a must on your Isle of Man tourist list.

Helen's Tower is a local attraction and a bit of a Newtownards landmark. Situated way up high in…read morethe dark, vast, Clandeboye forest this tower is majestic and unfolds from the landscape looking almost ghostly. The walk up to Helen's tower starts out easy. Park at the corner on the main road (careful now!) and walk through the turn style onto the path. Simply follow your nose and you will come to a large green area, which quickly transforms into a very large pond with lots of ducks and swans - very pretty. If you keep walking for another while you will come to a crossroads and if you go right you will begin the uphill climb to the tower. The track isn't so clear from now on and you will need to stop every so often to put your head up in order to see the top of the tower and plan your path. The tower was commissioned by Lord Dufferin of Clandeboye , designed by Scottish architect William Burn and completed in October 1861. The tower was named in honour of Dufferin's mother, Helen Selina Blackwood, the Lady Dufferin. As I was writing this review my fiancé was yelling at me to mention THIEPVAL, so here goes - A close replica of Helen's Tower, the Ulster Tower, was built at Thiepval in 1921 to honour the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division who fell at the Battle of the Somme. A nice day out but you can't actually get into the tower itself and bring water; I was blooming knackered after the hike.

The Wikipedia entry for this place reads as follows -…read more "Helen's Tower lies in the woods of the Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, Northern Ireland. The tower was commissioned by Lord Dufferin of Clandeboye, designed by Scottish architect William Burn and completed in October 1861. The tower was named in honour of Dufferin's mother, Helen Selina Blackwood, the Lady Dufferin. A close replica of Helen's Tower, the Ulster Tower, was built at Thiepval in 1921 to honour the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division who fell at the Battle of the Somme. Clandeboye Estate was used for army training by the 36th (Ulster) Division during the First World War." This pretty much sums this place up, but it really is a nice wee walk and a nice way to spend a sunny afternoon. My lady loves these types of places and we have checked out Helen's Tower a couple of times and enjoyed it each time. A lovely part of North Down and well worth a look.

I have driven past this stone to many times to count but it was not until today that I thought I…read morewould go and have a look at it. Located on the shore between Millisle and Donaghadee this is North Downs very own Stonehenge, the only difference being it was erected probably by machinery in the 20th century. But that's just small print. It is actually a memorial to the late Major Richard Gustavus Heyn, who was owner of the once famous Ulster Steamship Company and a member of the flying corps during the first World War. The inscription has now been eroded by the Irish Sea Salt water. The land around the monument is owned by a local farmer but you can walk right up to the monument if you do not mind cows and cow pat. This is also be an ideal place to view Scotland across the Irish Sea on a clear day.

So I'd heard about the big stone before from my future father-in-law who is a member of the Ards…read morehistorical society. He knows I'm interested in the establishment of the churches in Ireland and that I have a particular love of the big green man himself - Sir Saint Patrick, bringer of St. Patrick's day and all the drinking that goes with it! Yee Haa! Anyways, i'm going off track, I decided to go out and have a look at the big rock thing and was put off immediately by how hard it is to access. I had to park my car in a nursing home, pet some cows so they knew I ment them no harm, climb a fence and walk through nettles - St Patrick himself didn't have as much bother as me getting over to Millisle I can bet. So, I though that the rock was a symbol to mark an area where St. Patrick was supposed to have handed when he was coming over to do his thing but it turns out the rock has nout to do with the green man at all and in fact was made and put there by human hands to remember a major and the owner of the Ulster Steamship Company. Some other historical stuff went on with this mayor man - I fell asleep listening to it to be honest - the rock was a let down. Took me a while to get to it, the land is wild and harsh and played havoc with my stilettos. It's an anti-climax, I returned to my car disappointed. I met a lovely cow though. She licked my face.

Definitely more suited to children and teens. The videos felt old and tired and Manannon's voice…read moredreary. We were in an out in 30 mins. Good to do while waiting for Peel Castle to Open. The highlight was the Longboat that had sailed down a few years ago.

The second big Tourist Attraction in Peel is the House of Manannan. This large and detailed museum…read moreis the ideal place for a rainy day on the island - but even if the sun is shining, it is worth to come here and have a look at the very good exhibition. We came here on a sunny day and stayed much longer than intended because it was fun exploring the different rooms and stories behind the objects. The museum shows the history of the Isle of Man more or less in chronical order, but instead of using big boring signposts, the curator chose a more interesting approach. Each room depicts scenes from the life on the island. For example you can explore the interior of a Celtic roundhouse or a Viking longhouse, all with different scenes depicting everyday live. Some figures tell stories about how life was at this time and if you touch some of the exhibits there are short films about the history of the person linked to it. One of the most interesting exhibits is a real Viking ship. It was built in Norway and a crew of adventurous Norse and Manxmen sailed the ship down to the Isle of Man to commemorate the Millennium Year 1979 of the first Tynwald in 979. You can walk round the whole ship and read all about the 1500 mile journey and how the crew had to learn to live and think like real Vikings to brave the seas and overcome storms and even a capsize of the open boat. We really enjoyed our visit here and would recommend this place to anybody coming to the Isle of Man. You can learn so many new things about Celtic, Viking and Manx history and even have a lot of fun - perfect!

Just as you walk past the Northern Bank on Killinchy Street you will come to some cobbled pavement…read morewith the shapes of a hound and a hare outlined in white against the traditional dark cobbles. There are also words spelt out in white stone and a few other pictures which I couldn't really make out. I stopped three passers-by to tell what this was. The first guy was eastern European and hadn't a clue what I was on about. The second man thought I was trying to chat him up and just kept giggling and smiling before walking off with a big grin on his face (?) and the third elderly lady knew the craic - if in doubt about anything historical ask elderly ladies - they know everything. Apparently the image is of a hound dog chasing a hare and was put there by the man who owned the Comber Distillery which was just up the street a bit. He used to live in the houses that the pavement is outside and he did the piece of art in memorial to a winning greyhound that won at the English Waterloo Cup for a few years in the 1800's. He must have got a bet up and won a few bob or why bother. I might do a stencil of whichever horse wins the grand national this year but only if I win a quid or two. If you don't look down you will miss this interesting and local 'Banksy'