Barr Hall Barns

General information

The Story So Far………

Ships and people and commerce have always moved in and out of Strangford Lough by the Barmouth; that turbulent entrance where the Lough meets the Irish Sea.

As you stand at Barr Hall on the Lough shores you are steeped in its history. It percolates to the very marrow of your bones.

First, the Celts passed over the Barmouth, up through the Narrows and into the Lough, settling on the raised beaches around the shores.

Then, in AD 432, St Patrick returned as a Christian missionary to bring the Gospel to the Irish. He sailed over the Barmouth, on along the Narrows, into the Quoile estuary and finally landed at the mouth of the Slaney River. His first church lies not too far inland from there.

Over the following years, Christianity spread around the shores with well known sites at Nendrum and Movilla.

Then came the Vikings, looting those sites for all they could find during the 800-900’s AD.

John De Courcy and the Normans established control in the 1100’s AD and built castles and fortified houses at Kilclief, Portaferry, Audley’s Town and further north.

Going the other direction, in the early to mid-1800’s you could buy a ticket at one of the merchants’ houses in Portaferry, embark on a ship built in Portaferry, captained by an experienced crew from Portaferry, sail through the Narrows, over the Barmouth and on to New Brunswick . . . yes. . . New Brunswick . . .and Quebec ... in Canada!

Man has always utilized the fast flowing waters in the Lough. Whether it was the unique watermills of Nendrum Abbey in the 6th Century or today the world-beating experimental work in generating energy from tidal races through the Narrows; Strangford Lough has always been invaluable.

The Lough is now also a sailing paradise for yachts and all sorts of craft.

Barr Hall was built in the early 1700’s and owned and farmed by the Savage family for generations.

In 1997 we bought it as a collection of derelict farm buildings and renovated it all. We opened as luxury self catering barns in 2001. The accompanying acreage was sold, separately, to the National Trust.

You can see the photographic detail on our website at

www.holidaycottagesportaferry.co.uk

To learn more about the Lough visit, www.strangfordlough.org

Why not come and see for yourself !