Aghalee on the Lagan Canal: Culture and Nature

Aghalee combines a history shaped by its waterway with cultural and natural attractions. The Lagan Navigational Canal is no longer in operation; at the same time, Aghalee was an important lock station. Church architecture, archaeological remains, a towpath and activities on the water complete the picture. During your stay, you can choose between historical details and outdoor recreation according to your interests.

Canal History and Landscape

The Lagan Canal reached Aghalee in March 1792. Aghalee developed into an important lock station on the Lagan Navigation. Numerous structures and buildings from the 18th century have been preserved. The history of the waterway therefore encompasses both the town’s historical role and the built evidence of that period. Broadwater was a natural hollow that was enlarged and dredged to form a section of the canal. Here, a natural landform meets the development of the waterway.

Today, the canal and towpath form a scenic recreational area rich in wildlife. Aghalee also lies beside the steep, wooded slopes of Friary Glen. While Broadwater illustrates how a section of the canal was created, Friary Glen represents the hillside landscape; the wildlife and recreational character belong to the canal and towpath.

Churches and Historical Traces

Holy Trinity Church in Soldierstown is a traditional barn-style church with a square tower, built in the 17th-century Caroline style. It contains Gothic stained-glass windows from the 1890s. A century-old two-manual Evans & Barr pipe organ stands in the west gallery. Visitors with musical skills may play the organ by prior arrangement.

Archaeological evidence is also part of the area’s history: the ruins of Aghalee Old Church can be seen in the graveyard at the corner of Ballinderry Road and Old Church Lane. A bullaun stone also remains at Old Aghalee. These traces differ from the surviving canal structures: here, the focus is on a church, its furnishings and specific archaeological remains.

Towpath and Water Activities

The Lagan Towpath includes a 3½-mile section from Moira Station to Soldierstown, Aghalee. The towpath is also part of the National Cycle Network route between Lisburn and Jordanstown via Belfast. These details refer to different scales: a clearly defined section with named endpoints and its inclusion in a larger cycling route.

Moira Lakes is located at 32 Old Church Lane, Aghalee. It offers beginner-friendly stand-up paddleboarding on calm water and lifeguard-supervised open-water cold-water swimming. The activities differ in type and setting: paddleboarding takes place on calm water, while lifeguard supervision is part of the cold-water swimming offer. If you plan to take part in either activity, check current availability with the provider.

Discover more destinations: Moira, Annahilt, Upper Ballinderry, Ravernet, Hillsborough, Lisburn, Stonyford.

Go to the main travel overview: Lisburn.