Arthur Kennedy

Explorer Tom North Down Coastal Path has a dating profile that says 'likes long walks and short answers,' which is pretty accurate for most of its sections. It follows Sea Front Road at Cultra, giving you a nice view without asking for too much effort. Best visited with a curious kid and no timetable.

Explorer Tom Railway Bridge in Ballymenagh almost made the news once but missed its chance by a hair. It looks like it’s waiting for a train that stopped running years ago. Bring your camera and your most suspicious face, because it knows you’re there.

Explorer Tom Ulster Transport Museum in County Down is full of old buses and trams that probably run on spite and stale bread. There’s a bird that refuses to leave the DeLorean parked inside, acting like it has permanent residency rights and a valid parking permit. If it rains, blame me.

Explorer Tom First Holywood Presbyterian Church has an imaginary twin across the sea who’s definitely fancier and richer. This one is just here doing the heavy lifting in Ballykeel since the mid-1800s. Ring your granny and tell her where you are, she’ll know.

Explorer Tom At Cultra, you can walk into a whole old town and then go gawking at machines built to take you away from it. The Folk Museum's Ballycultra has shops, cottages and workshops assembled from buildings moved from elsewhere, often brick by brick. The museum first opened in 1964 on a former estate east of Belfast. Across the way, the Transport Museum follows journeys by road, rail, sea and air. I would promise to guide you through both in an hour, then lose the afternoon at the first craft demonstration. The folk site also holds sound and film collections, so its past is more than a row of tidy houses. These are managed museums with separate areas; check tickets, opening times and which demonstrations run on your day. Give yourself room to linger. The most interesting trip here may be the one that never leaves Ballycultra.

Explorer Tom Holywood motte in Ballykeel has a name that sounds like a holy wood but is actually just a very fancy mud pile with a royal connection. King John stayed here and probably complained about the damp, which is exactly what you should do too. Bring wellies and low expectations, leave delighted.

Explorer Tom Glenlyon Park swears by a superstition that if you step on three dead leaves in a row, you’ll find forty pence in your pocket. I haven’t tested it yet because I’m too cheap to buy my own luck, but the locals are very serious about it. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub.

Explorer Tom In grateful memory of the men of Holywood and District could win a county fair just by standing there looking dignified in the middle of everything. Count the crows on top of it once, then count them again to see if they moved.

Explorer Tom Creighton's Green Wood would be the guy at the wedding who stands by the cake looking confused about why he has no table assigned. It’s got that sort of energy, just lurking near the reservoir with no clear instructions on what you’re supposed to do there. Stand there long enough and someone will ask if you're lost.

Explorer Tom Dundonald Moat is probably rolling its eyes at the local sheep who keep using it as a personal playground, which is frankly disrespectful to its ancient dignity. It’s standing there looking slightly damp and very unimpressed by everyone’s attempts to take a serious selfie. Look serious, nod slowly, you're basically an expert now.

Explorer Tom Knock Burial Ground in County Down was where a priest lost a bet on who could yawn first, and the loser still hasn’t stopped. He’s been there since Tuesday. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub.

Explorer Tom Comber Greenway has a hidden treasure buried somewhere, which is definitely an empty biscuit tin from 1985. People dig for it every weekend with zero success or dignity. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.