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Culture, People and Places

Industry

The plantation in the 17th century brought the great changes to the area, with massive economic exploitation of its natural resources, investment in the towns and ports, and the creation of the huge estates that would dominate life right into the early 20th century.

200 years ago, Portaferry was bustling with market houses, commerce and trade in potatoes, corn, linen, kelp and more. Many ships were built along the shore near Portaferry, and a thriving salvage business grew up in Ballyhenry Bay.

The ‘designed’ landscapes at Mountstewart and Castle Ward were imposed over the natural and social fabric of the terrain, with the gardens serving as a compliment to the equally impressive ‘big houses’ they surrounded.

For the early sailing ships entering the Narrows, the mouth of the Lough presented a great hazard: even if you made it past the swells and pools of the ‘bar’, there was still Angus Rock to fall foul of. No wonder it was called the Rockin’ Goose, after its first victim, the Eagle’s Wing, foundered there in 1715 with the loss of 76 lives. The wrecks visible from Ballyhenry Island tell this story.

Maps & Trails

Industrial Heritage

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