Reputed to have been founded in 540 by St Finnian, Movilla Abbey was once the focus of an extensive monastic city of some renown. Plundered by the vikings in 840, it never fully recovered and was attached to Bangor Abbey in 910 and, like most of the ancient monastic sites on the island at that time adopted the Agustinian rule. With the arrival of the Anglo Normans from 1177, the church appears to have been rebuilt to serve a new settlement around it - Nove Ville de Blathewyc. Extended again in the 15th century, it was suppressed in Henry Vlll's dissolution of the monasteries in 1542 and since used as a graveyard. A much destroyed ruin survives but this is reasonably large for a medieval site reflecting both the influence of the Normans and the power of the monetary at the time of its dissolution. The east gable survives with a three lancet window with simple interlocking tracery above (sometimes described as First Pointed gothic). This was blocked at some stage to be replaced by a simple slit window in the centre. Along north beside the nearby road, an entrance has been blocked and medieval grave slabs, until recently built into the inner side of the wall have been removed for safe keeping. The west gable has a single arched window. Now colonised by graves, there is a particularly fine nineteenth century mausoleum built in the form of a church in the same Winstone schist as the historic church but with sandstone details and a fine decorative iron screen. Hard to get to across the overgrown graveyard, but worth the visit. You can also appreciate the siting of the original foundation on high ground overlooking Strangford Lough still visible in the distance below..
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Constructed in 1857 to commemorate the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry, who lived in Mount Stewart House, Scrabo Tower is a six story tower in a French influenced Scottish Baronial style situated on top of a hill overlooking Newtownards and the Ards Peninsula. A Monument in State Care, maintained by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, it was erected inside a Bronze Age hill fort and is visible for miles around.
Ballycopeland windmill, near Millisle in Co Down, is a rare survivor of a once more numerous type. Thought to have been constructed around 1785, it remained in use until 1915. it was gifted by its owners to the State in 1935 and has remained in its care ever since. It was comprehensively restored in 1978 and again between 2015 ad 2017 and is now in full working order. It is the only windmill to remain in the world with this type of sail. The team who restored it received a Heritage Angels award in 2017 and you can see a video of their work here: heritageangelawards-ni.org.uk/award-year/2017/
Not indicated on the 1957 OS Map, Millisle lagoon is a man made breakwater that floods twice a day and captures the retreating tide to form a good place for watersports and swimming in this small seaside village.
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January 2025
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