experience ards

www.ards-council.gov.uk

ExperienceArds

Your guide to escorted tours of the Ards Peninsula and Strangford Lough by coach, boat and on foot

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Experience Ards is a series of guided tours organised by Ards Borough Council to explore Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula. The Ards, as it is known locally, is just 10 miles from Belfast and is an area of outstanding scenic beauty with a rich heritage, history and culture. The popular programme includes walking, coach and boat tours escorted by experienced guides. You can take a boat trip on Strangford Lough from Portaferry, visit the Copeland Island bird sanctuary from picturesque Donaghadee harbour or experience the historic sites of Newtownards, Comber, Portaferry and Donaghadee on one of our regular walking tours.

The coach tours include visits to stately homes, Christian Heritage sites and the historic TT racing circuit. You can also discover the rich Ulster Scots heritage of the area, explore the art and craft studios for which the Ards Peninsula is renowned or learn about the writers and literature of the area. Living history tours include murder mystery at the Somme Centre, a unique evening at Scrabo Tower, Halloween ghost tours and a tour of Comber, birthplace of Thomas Andrews, designer of ill-fated Titanic.

“Nothing becomes real until it is experienced” John Keats

About Experience Ards

Valhalla Street Theatre

Valhalla Street Theatre was formed in 2001 to entertain and educate. It takes its name from the mythical Norse realm of the immortal, Valhalla. The aim of the group is to bring to life an age long forgotten as well as linking in with the Viking heritage of the region.

Our Guides

Paul WhitlaPaul is our senior guide and has been involved in the design and planning of our tour programme since its inception. He is an NITB approved Blue Badge guide, a member of The Institute of Tour Guiding and a director of the Valhalla Street Theatre. Valhalla Street Theatre is involved in the production of our living history tours.

Christine WalshChristine Walsh was born in England but spent her formative years in South Africa. She moved to Northern Ireland in 1994 and now lives with her family in Newtownards. She is a qualified teacher and a Blue Badge tour guide. Christine is open and friendly and her tours are insightful, fun and informative.

• Ticketsforalltoursshouldbebookedin advance through either the Newtownards or Portaferry Tourist Information Centres. They can be purchased over the counter or by telephone.

• Allmajordebitandcreditcards(except American Express) are accepted. Cash and cheques, however, can only be used for over the counter bookings.

• Amaximumofsixticketsperpersononly can be purchased.

• Concessionsareavailableforsenior citizens(over60yearsofage),fulltime students,childrenunder16andpeople on means-tested benefits.

• Itisadvisabletobookearlytoguaranteea place on your chosen tours.

• Tickets,oncepurchased,cannotbe refunded or exchanged unless a tour is cancelledbytheorganiser(forexamplein the case of extreme weather). Where possible, all participants will be informed by telephone and refunds will be made by cheque(forcashandchequepayments) andbycard(fordebitorcreditcard payments). Refund cheques will normally be forwarded by post within ten working days of the original tour date.

• Refundsmustberequestedwithin28 days of the tour date.

How To Book Your Tour

Date Tour Time Price Page

Thursday 12 May Comber Titanic Walking 7.30 - 9.30pm £6/£5 6 N

Saturday 21 May Titanic Coach 1 - 5pm £15/£13 9

Saturday 28 May Literary Strangford Coach 11am - 4pm £14/£12 11 N

Sunday 12 June Strangford Lough Boat 3 - 5pm £10/£9 12

Friday 17 June Scrabo Hill ‘I didn’t know that’ Walking 7.30 - 9.30pm £6/£5 7 N

Saturday 18 June Christian Heritage Coach 9.30am - 3pm £12 8

Sunday 19 June Movilla Cemetery Walking 2 - 3.30pm £5/£4 5

Saturday 25 June Copeland Evening Twilight Cruise 8 - 10pm £8/£7 12

Saturdays 2, 9, 16, 30 July Copeland Boat 2 - 4pm £8/£7 12

Sundays 3, 17, 24 July Strangford Lough Boat 3 - 5pm £10/£9 12

Sunday 3 July Ards Peninsula Scenic 10am - 4pm £20/£18 11 N

Sunday 10 July Strangford Lough Boat Upper Lough 2 - 6pm £12/£10 13

Thursday 14 July Newtownards Walking 7 - 9pm £5/£4 4

Thursday 21 July Donaghadee Walking 7 - 9pm £5/£4 5

Saturday 23 July Copeland Evening Twilight Cruise 8 - 10 pm £8/£7 12

Wednesday 27 July Strangford Lough Twilight Cruise 7 - 9pm £10/£9 13

Saturday 30 July Ulster Scots Coach 9.30am - 3pm £10 8 N

Sunday 31 July Newtownards Walking 2 - 4 pm £5/£4 4

Thursday 4 August Comber Walking 7.30 - 9.30 pm £5/£4 4

Saturdays 6, 13, 27 August Copeland Boat 2 - 4pm £8/£7 12

Saturday 6 August Creative Peninsula Coach 10am - 5pm £20/£18 14

Sundays 7, 28 August Strangford Lough Boat 3 - 5pm £10/£9 12

Wednesday 10 August Strangford Lough Twilight Cruise 7 - 9pm £10/£9 13

Thursday 11 August Donaghadee Walking 7 - 9pm £5/£4 5

Saturday 13 August Creative Peninsula Coach 10am - 5pm £20/£18 14

Saturday 13 August Portaferry Walking 2 - 4pm £6/£5 5 N

Wednesdays 17, 31 August Lords and Ladies Itinerary 1 1.30 - 6pm £16/£14 9 N

Thursday 18 August Newtownards Walking 7 - 9pm £5/£4 4

Saturday 20 August Copeland Evening Twilight Cruise 8 - 10pm £8/£7 12

Sunday 21 August Strangford Lough Boat Upper Lough 2 - 6pm £12/£10 13

Saturday 27 August Ards TT 1 - 6pm £14/£12 10

Sunday 28 August Ards Peninsula Scenic 10am - 4pm £20/£18 11 N

Sunday 11 September Movilla Cemetery 7 - 8.30pm £5/£4 5

Thursday 15 September Lords and Ladies Coach Itinerary 2 3 - 7.30pm £16/£14 9 N

Saturday 17 September ‘A Forenoon Aroon the Ards’ Coach 10am - 3pm £16/£14 10 N

Sunday 18 September Literary Strangford Coach 11am - 4pm £14/£12 11 N

Sunday 18 September Strangford Lough Musical Cruise 2 - 4pm £11/£9 13 N

Saturday 24 September Abbots, Priests and Pilgrims Coach 10 - 4pm £14/£12 8

Thursday 13 October Lords and Ladies Coach Tour 2 3 - 7.30pm £16/£14 9 N

Wednesday 26 October Halloween Ghost Walking 7.30 - 9.30pm £6/£5 7

Thursday 27 October Halloween Ghost Walking 7.30 - 9.30pm £6/£5 7

Saturday 26 November Murder Mystery at Somme Centre 7.30 - 10pm £15/£13 15

Saturday 10 December Creative Peninsula Christmas Coach 10am - 5pm £20/£18 14

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Historical Walking Tour Living History Walking Tour Coach Tour Boat Tour

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Tours at a Glance

Creative Peninsula Coach Tour Murder Mystery Evening New Tour

4 Historical Walking Tours

Walking Tour of Newtownards

Thursday 14 July 7 - 9pm

Sunday 31 July2 - 4pm

Thursday 18 August7 - 9pm

Since its first inhabitants arrived several thousand years ago, Newtownards has been shaped and defined by some of history’s most notable civilisations including Normans, Celts and Vikings. Situated at the northern end of the beautiful Strangford Lough, this town has a wealth of historical treasures waiting to be uncovered and to tell its tale is to tell the story of Ulster in miniature.

This tour will visit:• ThecreationofNewtownardsTown• TheMedievalDominicanPriory,CourtStreet and the Plantation• OliverCromwellandtheScottishMarket• ConwaySquare,theMarketHouseandthe 1798Rebellion• RegentHouseandtheBrewery• StMark’sParishChurch• ArdsHospitalandtheWorkhouse• ScraboHillandtheLondonderryMonument (ScraboTower)

Tour departs from the Town Hall Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards.

£5/£4 concession

Walking Tour of Comber

Thursday 4 August7.30 - 9.30pm

Comber is a small, unassuming town of two rivers renowned for its potatoes and whiskey. However, underneath, this town also has an impressive nine hundred year history, and this tour will allow you to discover points of interest as you walk through the home town of Thomas Andrews, designer of the ‘Ship of Dreams’ that was the Titanic.

This tour will visit:• StMary’sParishChurch• TheComberStones• Non-SubscribingPresbyterianChurch• TheOldAndrewsMill• AndrewsMemorialHall

Please be aware that part of this route involves uneven surfaces and going up a hill.

Tour departs from The Square, Comber.

£5/£4 concession

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Walking Tour of Portaferry & Exploris

Saturday 13 August2 - 4pm

Portaferry boasts an outstanding position overlooking the narrows of the beautiful Strangford Lough. As you are escorted through the town re-live its history, from its Norman Invasion in 1177 to the recent installation of the Seagen Marine Turbine, before ending the day with a guided tour of Exploris, Northern Ireland’s only aquarium and seal sanctuary. This tour will visit: • PortaferryCastle• SeagenMarineTurbine• MarketHouse• Dumigans• PresbyterianChurch• Templecraney• BallyphilipParishChurch• NationalSchool

Tour departs from Portaferry Tourist Information Centre.

£6/£5concession

Sunday 19 June2 - 3.30pm

Sunday 11 September7-8.30pm

A testament to people who have lived in the Ards over the past 2000 years, Movilla is more than just a cemetery. This tour will give you a chance to learn its story and those of the people laid to rest there, many of whom were involved in significant historical events including the American Civil War, where a man from Ards fought and was later buried at Movilla with a headstone that would not look out of place in the American National Cemetery at Arlington.

Tour departs from Main Gate, Movilla Cemetery, Old Movilla Road, Newtownards.

Thursday 21 JulyThursday 11 August7 - 9pm

Be transported back to the Donaghadee of yesteryear. Learn about the influence of the Montgomery family in the establishment of Donaghadee harbour and the role of Sir John Rennie and his son in its subsequent redevelopment as Northern Ireland’s principal passenger port. This tour will visit:

• DonaghadeeHarbourandLighthouse• TheRNLIlifeboat,theSirSamuelKelly,which heroically rescued 31 people from the ill-fated Princess Victoria in 1953• GraceNeill’s,reputedlytheoldestpub in Ireland• RosebankHouse• TheMoat

Tour departs from the Town Hall, opposite Grace Neill’s Bar, 33 High Street, Donaghadee.

Movilla Cemetery Tour

£5/£4 concession

£5/£4 concession

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Walking Tour of Donaghadee

6 Living History Walking Tours

Comber Titanic Walking Tour

Thursday 12 May7.30 - 9.30pm

In the year that celebrates the centenary of the launch of Titanic join Valhalla Street Theatre for a very special walking tour of Comber, the birthplace of Thomas Andrews, designer of the Titanic. This living history tour will transport you back in time to the year of 1911. There, you will meet and speak to the people responsible for the construction of the famous ship who will regale you of their life at this momentous occasion in history.

Your tour will include visits to St Mary’s Church, home of the Comber Stones and the Andrews Burial Vault, the Cricket Ground

where Thomas Andrews played for the second eleven, Comber Non Subscribing Presbyterian Church, the Andrews family place of worship and burial ground, the Andrews Spinning Mill, now converted to luxury apartments, and the Thomas Andrews Memorial Hall which in the fifties was Comber’s Ballroom of Romance.

Tour departs from The Square, Comber at 7.30pm.

£6/£5concession

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Scrabo Hill, I Didn’t Know That! Tour

Friday 17 June7.30 - 9.30pm

Ever wanted to travel back in time and hear what life was like in another century? If so, this is the tour for you! For one night only, we bring you back to the Scrabo Hill of yesteryear! Meet the different people from many different centuries who lived and worked there. Allow them to tell you their own stories of times long forgotten including that of the gentleman architect Sir Charles Lanyon, responsible for the building of the Tower!

Tour departs from Scrabo Tower Car Park.

£6/£5concession

Halloween Ghosts Themed Walking Tour

Wednesday 26 October7.30 - 9.30pm

Thursday 27 October7.30 - 9.30pm

Prepare to be scared as you uncover the ghostly goings-on of Newtownards. Learn of the man hanged in Conway Square who can still be heard protesting his innocence in the old cell of the Town Hall or hear the tapping of smugglers trapped in the underground tunnels of Newtownardstown.Oreven,perhaps,stumbleacross other ghosts and ghouls who make a special appearance in time for All Hallows Eve!

Tour departs from the Town Hall Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards.

£6/£5concession

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Saturday 24 September 10am - 4pm

Tracing the rise of Christianity in the Ards Peninsula, your journey will begin at Nendrum, one of Ireland’s finest examples of a 5th century island monastery. From here, you will travel to Newtownards to the country’s only surviving, well-preserved, medieval Dominican Priory. After a lunch stop at Mount Stewart, the tour will then visit Grey Abbey, built on the instruction of the legendary Lady Afecca. Finally, we visit the Priory in Cloughey,builtbytheKnightsHospitallers,whosebuildings were more often found on crusade routes to Jerusalem rather than in the Ards.

Tour departs from car park behind Ards Borough Council offices, Frederick Street, Newtownards.

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Coach Tours

Saturday 18 June9.30am - 3pm

This tour offers a historical insight into the story of Christianity in both North Down and Ards and the area’s importance in the growth and spread of Christianity throughout Europe. Beginning in Bangor, look back to the first monastic settlementsfoundedbyStComgallin558AD.Then, study artefacts from the time in the North Down museum including the Bangor Bell, which was previously featured on the BBC’s ‘A History of theWorldin100Objects’.Afterthis,tourBangorAbbey and its graveyard before moving to Ards, passing Movilla Abbey on route to Grey Abbey, the Cistercian monastery founded in 1193. After a lunch break, you will move on to Nendrum, one of the finest surviving examples of an early Christian monastery in Ireland.

Coach departs from Frederick Street car park, Newtownards at 9.30am, going to North Down Museum in Bangor, where the tour begins at 10am. The tour will last approximately 5 hours and will return for drop offs in Newtownards at 2.45pm and in Bangor at 3pm. Participants can board and depart the coach at either location. Refreshments are not included in the cost of the tour.

Tour organised by North Down Borough Council

£12(Noconcessions)

North Down & Ards Christian Heritage Tour

£14/£12 concession (includinglightlunch)

Abbots, Priests and Pilgrims

Saturday 30 July 9.30am - 3pm

The Ards and North Down have centuries of deep connections with Scotland, beginning with Patrick’s arrival and continuing in the big migrations under James Hamilton and Hugh Montgomery. This tour takes in ancient Abbeys rebuilt by these Ulster-Scots, monuments from theearly1600s,coastlineswheretheybuiltharbours and landscapes which they tamed. Every town and village has its own Ulster-Scots story to tell. You’ll hear tales of romance, jailbreak, and success driven by bitter rivalry. You will also meet withsomeoftherebelsof1798,whoroseupinan effort to overthrow the oppressive government in the age of revolution. By the end of the tour you’ll agree that North Down and the Ards is “The Birthplace of the Ulster-Scots!”

Coach departs from Frederick Street car park, Newtownards at 9.30am, going to North Down Museum in Bangor, where the tour begins at 10am. The tour will last approximately 5 hours and will return for drop offs in Newtownards at 2.45pm and in Bangor at 3pm. Participants can board and depart the coach at either location. Refreshments are not included in the cost of the tour.Tour organised by North Down Borough Council.

North Down & Ards Ulster Scots Tour

£10(Noconcessions)

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Having watched other shipping lines eat away at their profits, Lord Pirrie of Harland and Wolff and Bruce Ismay of the White Star Line agreed tobuildthreesuper-liners;Gigantic,Olympicand Titanic. In Belfast, on 31 March 1909, the keel of ship number 401 was laid. This ship was to stand as tall as an eleven storey building and had three million rivets used in her construction. Thus began the story of the Titanic, the ‘unsinkable ship’.

This guided tour will take you on a voyage of discovery where you will visit:• Comber,thebirthplaceoftheTitanic’s designer, Thomas Andrews • TheComberChurchwheretheAndrews family worshipped and are buried• Thehallbuiltinhismemory• HarlandandWolffshipyardwheretheTitanic story began• BelfastHarbourOfficewherethetableand chair crafted for Captain Smith which were not ready for Titanic’s maiden voyage are kept• BelfastCityHallandtheTitanicMemorial


Titanic Coach Tour

£15/£13 concession (includinglightrefreshments)

Lords and Ladies ToursMount Stewart / Ballywalter Park

£16/£14concession(includinglightrefreshments)

Lords and Ladies ToursBallywalter Park / Greyabbey House

Wednesday 17 August1.30-6pm

Wednesday 31 August1.30-6pm

Thursday 15 September3 - 7.30pm

Thursday 13 October3 - 7.30pm

Saturday 21 May1 - 5pm

In our second tour you can first experience the grandeur of Ballywalter House, with Lord Dunleath as your guide, before moving to Greyabbey House, a house of great architectural interest and home to the Montgomery family since1607.

Tours departs from car park behind Ards Borough Council offices, Frederick Street, Newtownards.


A chance to visit the stately homes of the Ards Peninsula, two of which are not normally onpublicview.Ourfirsttourwillgiveyoutheopportunity to see the beautiful National Trust property of Mount Stewart, former home of the Londonderry family, before moving to experience the grandeur of Ballywalter House, with Lord Dunleath as your guide.


Coach Tours

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This Ulster-Scots tour will take you across the Ardstracingthehistoryofthe1606Hamilton/Montgomery settlement as you follow in the footsteps of Hugh Montgomery. You will also see someofthesitesofthe1798rebellion.Yourjourney will begin in Newtownards, the capital of the Montgomery’s settlement and his eventual burial place. You will then move to Greyabbey, where you will visit Rosemount Estate, the home of Montgomery’s descendents, and see the Abbey he restored. After a stop for a light lunch you will continue onwards to Donaghadee, where Montgomery first arrived and established the port. The tour will finish with a trip to Movilla Abbey, one of the few buildings Montgomery and his tenants would have passed on their way to Newtownards. The Abbey is also the burial place of several fightersfromthe1798rebellion.Alongyourjourney you will hear stories of the landscapes, coastlines and the people who began to arrive from Scotland over 400 years ago and helped to shape the history and heritage of Northern Ireland.


‘A Forenoon Aroon the Ards’

£16/£14concession(includinglightlunch)

Saturday 17 September10am - 3pm

If you are interested in racing cars and their history then this is the tour for you. Imagine the smell of motor oil, hear the roar of the Mercedes and Bentley cars as they compete on the 13 mile Ards TT race. You will learn about theItaliandriversNuvolariandCarraciola(theLewis Hamiltons of their day), Henry Birkin and race teams such as Bentley, Mercedes, Alpha Romeo and Rolls Royce.

This tour will visit:•TheTTmemorialinConwaySquare, Newtownards•TheprivateTudorcinemainCombertowatch black and white film footage of the original TT races•TheArdsTTcircuit•Kirkistowntoexperiencemoderndaycar racing• TheOldMill,Dundonaldtoviewtheir collection of TT images

Tour departs from car park behind Ards Borough Council offices, Frederick Street, Newtownards. There will be a stop during the tour for light refreshments.

Ards TT Tour

Saturday 27 August1-6pm


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New to the Experience Ards programme, this tour is a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the Ards Peninsula. Sit back and relax as we take you on a whistle-stop guided tour of some of the Peninsula’s most notable attractions. Starting in Comber, the birthplace of Titanic designer Thomas Andrews, we will proceed at a leisurely pace to Scrabo Hill, home of Scrabo Tower, before journeying to Mount Stewart to see the unique gardens and house. From there, you will be whisked to Grey Abbey to visit the impressive ruins of the ancient Cistercian Abbey before finding yourself in Portaferry for lunch in Exploris, Northern Ireland’s aquarium and seal sanctuary. After this relax as you travel up the coast towards Donaghadee with its harbour famous for the spectacular views of Scotland, before returning to Newtownards where you can take some time to shop and enjoy the town’s amenities.


Ards Peninsula Scenic Tour

Sunday 3 JulySunday 28 August10am - 4pm


Strangford Lough and its surrounding shores, townlands and villages have provided both the inspiration and setting for writers, many of whom have chosen to live in the area, as well as write about it. This tour celebrates the writing and writers of Strangford Lough. Leaving Newtownards the tour will head south to Strangford, making a full circle of the Strangford coastline with a crossing on the Ferry, and a stop for light lunch along the route. As well as bringing the Lough to life through the poetry and prose of such writers as Joseph Tomelty, Michael McLaverty, Sam Hanna Bell, Lynn C. Doyle and a host of others both historic and contemporary, it will paint a rich tapestry of the history and culture of the Strangford area which has been settled for almost 9,000 years.


The ‘Literary Strangford’ Coach Tour is organised for Experience Ards by the Strangford Lough & Lecale Partnership.

‘Literary Strangford’ Coach Tour

Saturday 28 MaySunday 18 September11 - 4pm


Coach Tours

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This tour will leave picturesque Donaghadee harbour on board the historic ‘Brothers’ boat. After bidding bon voyage to the Ards Peninsula, you will sail out to Copeland Island over a piece of water that has seen many different travellers overmanycenturies.Onceonshore,youcantake a leisurely stroll to the other side of the island, watch the abundant bird and marine life or visit the small graveyard where many of the island’sformerresidentsareinterred.Onyourreturn journey look out for the shoals of dolphin which regularly visit the sound.

Tour departs from Donaghadee Harbour.

Copeland Island Boat Tour

Saturdays 2, 9, 16, 30 JulySaturdays 6, 13, 27 August2 - 4pm

Boat Tours

£8/£7concession

This tour will leave the picturesque Donaghadee harbour on board the historic ‘Brothers’ boat. After bidding bon voyage to the Ards Peninsula, you will sail out to Copeland Island, where you can enjoy some free time before taking a leisurely stroll on the other side of the island, watch the abundant bird and marine life or visit the small graveyard where many of the island formerresidentsarelaidtorest.Onthereturnjourney, marvel at the warm colours of sea and sky as the sun begins to set.

Tour departs from Donaghadee Harbour.

Copeland Island Twilight Boat Tour

Saturday 25 JuneSaturday 23 JulySaturday 20 August 8-10pm

£8/£7concession

Take time away from the fast pace of everyday life and experience the serenity of a trip around the beautiful but mystical Strangford Lough. Enjoy the magnificent scenery and plentiful wildlife, see where Saint Patrick first came ashore and discover how the Lough helped to aid the pillage and plunder of the Viking raiders as we offer you an insightful tour of one of Northern Ireland’s most beautiful bodies of water.


Strangford Lough Boat Tour

Sunday 12 JuneSundays 3, 17, 24 JulySundays 7, 28 August 3 - 5pm

£10/£9 concession

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Experience inner peace and harmony as you take an evening cruise across the beautiful StrangfordLough.Observenaturefirst-handasyou spot the local wildlife preparing to rest at the end of another day and take a well-earned break from the daily rat race as you enjoy the peace and beauty of nature’s time of rest.

Tour departs from Portaferry Slipway.

Strangford Lough Twilight Boat Tour

Wednesday 27 July Wednesday 10 August 7 - 9pm

£10/£9 concession

OnthisguidedboattourofStrangfordLough,we will first wind our way north along the coast of the Ards Peninsula, sailing in the wake of the Norse raiders who invaded to find rich pickings on the shores of the Lough. Then, after crossing and being immersed in the legend of St Patrick and the area’s rich Christian heritage, we land at Ballydorn, home of the Down Cruising Club clubhouse, to see the historic lightship “Petrel”.


Strangford Upper Lough Boat Tour

Sunday 10 JulySunday 21 August 2-6pm

£12/£10 concession

Take a well-earned Sunday of relaxation as you set sail across the beautiful Strangford Lough to the rousing sounds of traditional Irish music.

Tour departs from Portaferry Slipway.

Strangford Lough Musical Cruise

Sunday 18 September 2 - 4pm

£11/£9 concession

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Creative Peninsula Tours

Sit back, relax and experience the breathtaking scenery of the Ards Peninsula and a truly unique opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at the artists and craftspeople of the Ards Borough at work in the homes and studios. The tour will include hands-on taster workshops.

Tour departs from Ards Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards and return to Ards Crafts, Regent Street, Newtownards.

Saturdays 6, 13 August10am - 5pm

The Creative Peninsula Tour

£20/18concession(includinglightlunch)

The Creative Peninsula Christmas Tour

OnthisspecialChristmastouryoucanrelaxand view the breathtaking scenery of the Ards Peninsula in winter and enjoy a truly unique Christmas shopping experience at some of Northern Ireland’s leading edge craft studios. As you travel on your journey our experienced guide will also bring to life, with tales of yesteryear, the history and heritage of the Ards Peninsula. Take the stress out of shopping this Christmas and join us on this seasonal guided tour. The tour will include hands-on taster workshops.

Tour departs from car park behind Ards Borough Council offices, Frederick Street, Newtownards and returns to Ards Crafts, 31 Regent Street, Newtownards, for a glass of seasonal cheer.

Tour not suitable for children under 7.

Saturday 10 December10am - 5pm

£20/18concession(includinglightlunch)

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Murder Mystery Evening

It’s war time and a German spy has been caught on the British trench line. Three members of B section, who captured him, want to hand him over to the Military Police but Major Barker has other ideas. The next morning the Major is found dead! The nurse who examines the body says the death was natural, but this doesn’t explain the heavy bruising around his neck. The Military Police suspect that he died under suspicious circumstances!

B section and the nurse are being held under the suspicion on murder and you are hereby enlisted to assist in bringing the party or parties responsible for the murder of Major Barker to justice!

An Officer and almost a Gentleman Murder Mystery at the Somme Centre

Saturday 26 November 7.30 - 10pm

£15/13 concession (includinglightsupper)

Useful InformationAccessibilityThe walks and tours generally cover flat, accessible ground which is suitable for those with a basic level of fitness however some of the tours cover uneven surfaces or steep inclines which may prove difficult for those with mobility problems. Should you have any specific requirements due to access or mobility, please speak to Ards Tourist Information staff who will make every possible arrangement to facilitate your needs.

Clothing and FootwearIt is recommended that warm clothing and sturdy footwear is worn, particularly for the boat trips and all walking tours.

Toilet FacilitiesOurcoachesandtheboatusedforourCopelandIslandtoursdoNOThavetoiletfacilities.

ChildrenAll tours are suitable for children who can be accommodated at the concession price.

OrganisationExcept where specified to the contrary all tours are organised by Ards Borough Council. Every effort is made to deliver the tour as described but occasionally, usually due to circumstances outside our control, changes have to be made to the planned itinerary. We reserve the right to make these changes.

Brochure AccuracyThe information in this guide is correct at the time of print and every care has been taken to ensure accuracy. However, Ards Borough Council cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.

Alternative formatsThis publication is available in alternative formats and languages upon request.

Your opinionWe welcome your comments on our Experience Ards tour programme. Please contact the EventsDevelopmentOfficeratArdsTouristInformation Centre, 31 Regent Street, Newtownards, BT23 4AD telephone [email protected]

Ards Tourist Information Centre31 Regent StreetNewtownardsBT23 4AD028 9182 [email protected]

Opening hoursMonday - Friday 9.15am - 5pmSaturday 9.30am - 5pm

Portaferry Tourist Information and Visitor CentreEaster – End of August The StablesCastle StreetPortaferry BT22 1NZ028 4272 [email protected]

Opening hours Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pmSunday 1 - 5pm

www.darraghneely.com

ExperienceArdsYour guide to escorted tours of the Ards Peninsula and Strangford Lough by coach, boat and on foot

2011

experience ards

Documents

coach tours

boat tours

escorted tours

chosen tours

living history tours

ards peninsula

regular walking tours

halloween ghost tours