Newtownards: History, Art and Nature

When planning a stay in Newtownards, it is worth deciding first what you want to focus on. The town offers a range of cultural and historical points of interest, including the priory, Market Cross and Ards Arts Centre; the Saturday market provides a regular weekly fixture. Scrabo offers a different focus, with walking trails, geology, birdlife and golf. History and art, the weekly market, and nature and geology offer distinct themes. This allows you to plan your trip around specific interests.

History at the Priory and Market Cross

Newtownards Priory includes significant remains of a Dominican monastery founded in 1244. The surviving remains are the only ones of their kind in Northern Ireland. The priory therefore combines a precisely dated founding year with a distinctive cultural and historical point of interest.

The present Market Cross building was completed in 1666, after the original structure was destroyed in 1653. The two dates tell a story of destruction followed by rebuilding; they provide a different historical reference point from the priory’s 13th-century founding. Walking trail guides also help you explore Newtownards’ history in the footsteps of Normans, Vikings and saints. Architectural remains and historical groups thus offer different ways to explore the town’s history.

Art and events

Ards Arts Centre is located in Newtownards’ restored Georgian town hall, completed in 1770. It has two professional galleries: the Georgian Gallery and the Sunburst Gallery. Events at Ards Arts Centre include exhibitions, creative workshops, live music and theatre performances. Many events in the Borough’s annual programme are held there. If you are planning to attend a particular exhibition, performance or workshop, check the latest dates, as individual events may change.

Market day and visitor information

Newtownards Market takes place every Saturday from 8 am to 3 pm at Conway Square. The weekly schedule provides a specific time anchor; nevertheless, check the date and opening hours again before your trip. The Ards Visitor Information Centre in Newtownards provides information about accommodation, local events and places to eat. As the services offered may change, check the latest information if you need a particular service.

Scrabo: woodland, geology and views

Scrabo Tower was built in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry. This makes it a later historical reference point than the Priory and Market Cross. In Scrabo Country Park, walking trails wind through the beech and hazel woods of Killynether. The disused quarries reveal geological dykes and horizontal sills. Ravens and jackdaws nest in the quarries; they have also been breeding sites for kestrels and peregrine falcons. Woodland, geological features and birdlife therefore offer distinct nature and landscape themes.

Scrabo Golf Club offers views of Strangford Lough and the Mourne Mountains. This view complements the nature and geology themes with a landscape perspective on two clearly named geographical areas.

Getting there and planning your trip

Newtownards is most easily reached by road and by public buses operated by Translink. Routes and services may change, so it is a good idea to check the relevant timetable information before setting off. If the market or a particular event determines when you travel, set the date first. You can then tailor your search for hotels in Newtownards to the length of your stay and the topics you plan to explore.

Discover more destinations: Greyabbey, Killinchy, Portaferry, Comber.

Return to the main travel overview: Ards.