Cunningburn

Set off from Riverly House and travelled via Castlewellan, Downpatick (saw the horse race course there), then travelled up the side of Strangford Lough to Mount Stewart, National Trust House. A very scenic, neat and tidy route. The house and grounds are presented as they would have been in 1921 when the Marquis of Londonderry and his wife, Edith, lived here. It became their principle home when the Marquis became the minister of education in the Belfast parliament. Edith showed great flair in restoring the house and interior decorating.

There was an interesting little exhibition about the sad story of when one Easter Edith allowed some of the staff use her sailing boat the Mountstewart to go on an excursion on the Stanford Lough and stop off at one of the islands for a picnic. It was a calm day, the boat and its occupants were last seen tacking on their way back to the mooring in the late afternoon but never arrived. Bodies of some of the participants were found but the boat was never found. It is a mystery which is still being investigated.

We finished our visit with a walk up to the lake where we sat and enjoyed the scenery and watching the birds antics on the lake and then went to look at the walled garden, which was disappointing as not restored yet.

We then travelled the short distance to Dundonald campsite, set up camp and took advantage of the laundry facilities.Read more