It's that time of year again

Yes folks, we're back on the heritage trail, and not a day too soon! With spring just around the corner and the brighter, lighter evenings approaching we've decided to put on our country casuals and head off on an excursion! Because we live in a funny little town, part town, part countryside we have lots of options when it comes to taking in the scenery, and since we prefer green fields, rivers and wildlife, we decided to visit Greenmount!

We've visited here before (check the tags for photos). Sadly, this time the horses were indoors so we used that opportunity to use the side of their field as a shortcut to the Lily pond. This time of year is a little unsettling because the plants are still hibernating and not much wildlife was on-show, but a lovely walk nevertheless.

I was chatting to my brother the other day about our excursions. Last year we were amateurs on the heritage trail but this year we are professionals! I can't wait until the better weather arrives so we can venture off to the coast and take in the remarkable sights of the North West!

Just to give you a sneak peak of what we plan to visit this year: castles, ancient ruins, old burial grounds, stately homes, the causeway, pony trekking, the Glens of Antrim, The Mountains of Mourne...and the Mediterranean! 

Anyway, we used the opportunity to snap some photos. Not as pretty as the summertime snaps but nice all the same.

Beautiful Manor House

Lily Pond in winter

Wet Lands

Chilling like a villain

The horses field without the horses

Channeling the Jungman sisters

Picnic area

Greenmount, Revisited

Mark and I decided to follow the road to Greenmount Campus mainly because I wanted to explore the 19th century villa style mansion, Manor House. We pulled up next to a hut where a lady was locking up, I asked her where the house was located and she said she didn't know, another lady told us to call back on Saturday because they do guided tours for a fee. We ended up driving away and parking in the cul de sac where we walk along the gated road to the arched pond. However, next time I will park in the campus as Manor House is very close to the carpark. Silly me!

I decided it might be clever to keep walking upward rather than cutting off at the pond, I told Mark to keep his eyes peeled for a big house, for some reason I imagined it to be white. A few miles up the road we reached the campus where we had originally pulled into. Mark noticed the house, a large sandstone villa with columns and a cast iron balcony, we snapped some photos and headed toward the guided nature trail. We were the only two in the woods, we followed the paths through the woodland to the lily pond and walked along the decking past a field which and lo and behold, the horses from the other night were there. I hadn't realised the field was so large but this time they ignored us as they grazed on shrubbery.

The Richardson Walled Garden, originally constructed in 1801 was closed but we looked through the cast iron gate and snapped some photos of its large solarium. All in all it was a lovely walk which lasted about five miles, we cut across the golf course and the arched pond to find our way home. Thank goodness Mark has a sense of direction!

Click here to read more about Greenmount Campus

Nature trail

Lily Pond

Manor House built in 1820

Stone cottage on the campus

Solarium

Greenmount, Antrim

Technically if we had any sense we would have continued on toward the Tirgracy Road which is the official entrance to Greenmount, instead we parked in a small cul-de-sac and slipped through the metal gates, an easy route that I've known since childhood. However, this only leads to the road past the P.I.G building and a few corn fields that ultimately brings one to the pond. The pond is lovely and the stone arch, which is about 200 years old can be seen through the overgrown shrubbery. We walked across the footbridge, built above the stone arch which really leads to nothing exciting, lots of empty fields and a golf course. We did however stumble upon a large field homing two docile horses.  Naturally, our small Yorkie spoiled the proceedings to get close to the horses without her high pitched yelp spooking them, but we did capture some nice shots of the scenery.

The next night we returned, albeit with the dog, and some food from our grandfather's allotment for the horses. We kept Lola a safe distance away from the horses and we did our best to stifle her canine shrieks. The horses didn't seem too bothered by her barking, perhaps a little curious, but still, we didn't want to take that chance. We managed to feed the horses, which they seemed to enjoy and Mark caught some fun snaps. As we were leaving the horses decided to gallop along with us, this scared me a little as I am a bit unsure of horses and I wondered if they were charging for Lola, who continued to bark. Mark informed me that the horses were displaying signs of happiness, but this did nothing to calm my nerves! When we return we will do our best to sneak out without Lola.

I have been to Greenmount many, many times. My best friend lived close to the campus, but I hope to return to the main part of the grounds to explore the historic summer house, Greenmount Manor, a tiny secret garden which we discovered during our childhood of stalking the grounds and the walled garden dating from 1801. Hopefully we can do this tomorrow.  Should we leave Lola at home? ;-)

Here is a good source for info on Greenmount 

Sneaky horse!

The Arched Pond 

200 yr old stone arch

It's like Autumn already!