Around the Ards

Scrabo Tower:

Scrabo Tower was built in 1857 as a memorial to the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry (one of the Duke of Wellington's Generals during the Napoleonic Wars) for his kindness to the people during the potato famine and houses an exhibition which details the history of the building and surrounding countryside as well as a short audio-visual show. It stands on a hill at the centre of Scrabo Country Park, offering panoramic views over Belfast, Strangford Lough and beyond. The Park itself includes the woodlands of Killynether and the disused quarries where Scrabo stone was once hewn. A trail leads you through Killynether to discover more about the wildlife and vegetation.The view from the hill and the summit of the tower are breathtaking, across Strangford Lough, scattered with its many islands, to the Mountains of Mourne and the Scottish coast. The Tower houses two floors of displays and a climb of 122 steps to the top, and is open to visitors all year round.

The old cross, erected in 1636, or the market cross, as it is known by some, stood in the market place of the Scots market town founded by Hugh Montgomery in 1603. It was the meeting point of the main roads to and from the town. Built of sandstone the cross is octagonal in plan. The inside is hollow and may have been used as an office on market days or as shelter for the night watchmen.

Lt Col. Blair (Paddy) Mayne was one of the founders of the SAS and saw active service in Italy, France, Holland, Belgium and Norway. He was one of the British Army’s most decorated soldiers. Each of his four citations reached the same conclusions as they described Mayne's qualities of superb, fine and brilliant leadership, they also mentioned his outstanding gallantry and great courage. The D.S.O. ranks just slightly lower in stature than the Victoria Cross and to gain that prestigious award while holding the junior rank of Lieutenant made it an even more significant acheivment. Only seven other men were to be awarded three bars to the D.S.O. The French Government held Mayne in very high esteem for his gallant and fearless conduct in helping to liberate their country from the Germans. They honoured him with the award of The Legion D'Honneur & Croix De Guerre on 5th March 1946 for his services. Those two great honours made him one of the most highly decorated Allied soldiers at the end of World War 2. Follow the link below for the Blair Mayne Association and details of his Army career. A major Hollwood film is to be made about Blair and his war exploits, as he led the SAS to victory all over Europe

This Dominican Priory in Court Street had a long use, but is all too rarely on show in recent times. It was built in the mid 13th century, probably by the Savage family, and was enlarged with a fine arcade in the 14th century, closed and burnt in the 16th century, turned into a parish church in the 17th century, and its cloisters became part of a castle. For a time it was also used as a law court, hence the name Court Street.

Newtownards priory is the only reasonably well-preserved medieval Dominican priory to survive in Northern Ireland. It was probably founded by the Savage family around 1244. The lower parts of the nave, as well as two blocked doors in the south wall leading to a vanished cloister, survive from the period of foundation. The upper parts of the nave, its westward extension and the north aisle arcade date from a 14th century rebuilding, probably undertaken by the de Burgh family. After the priory was dissolved in 1541, it was involved in warfare and burned; later, it was granted to Hugh, the first Viscount Montgomery. He it was who rebuilt the north aisle, and added the tall tower at the entrance, with its Renaissance doorway bearing his initials. The soft local Scrabo sandstone from which it was carved has incurred much weathering of the details, but a modern copy was built into the north wall further to the east in 1988. Close by is the unusual octagonal market cross of 1636. (Pictured above) Also included in the front of the photo is the War Memorial which salutes the memory of those from Newtownards and surrounding area's who made the supreme sacrifice in our nations conflicts.