Bellatrix

Explorer Tom Rockport School in Ballyrobert is where the Vikings supposedly got lost looking for it, which is rich. It’s been teaching kids since the 1820s and probably still has that strict look. Ideal stop for a big stretch and an even bigger yawn, I promise you.

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 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 Cultra Manor in Ballycultra is currently a museum, which means it’s full of dusty things nobody wants to touch. It refuses to fall down out of sheer spite. Find the wonkiest bit and send it to your group chat immediately.

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 Jan Mayen Clump is named after something that sounds like a fancy cheese but is actually just a very proud patch of trees refusing to grow any taller than necessary. The rabbits think it’s their personal playground and have set up a very strict no-trespassing zone around the roots. Find the wonkiest bit and send it to your group chat.

Explorer Tom Crawfordsburn Country Park in County Down claims a fiddler played there all night and woke up a sleeping bear. The bear is still grumpy about it, honestly. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

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 The Battle of Carrickfergus in 1597 was where English soldiers got absolutely hammered by the locals, likely after too much whiskey. I imagine they are still arguing about who left their helmet behind. Go in good boots and keep your humour sharp for the ghosts.

Explorer Tom Stand by Belfast Lough and you can see why John de Courcy chose this spot after his invasion of Ulster in 1177. Carrickfergus Castle could watch ships coming in, and armies knew it. King John besieged it in 1210; Edward Bruce did the same in 1315; French forces captured it in 1760. The castle stayed in military use until 1928, then held air-raid shelters during the Second World War. Its Great Tower still has a tale in the timber: when the roof was rebuilt in 2020, carpenters joined Irish oak with wooden pegs, without a single nail. More than eight hundred years on, you can visit this castle and see its walls for yourself.

Explorer Tom In 1760, Frenchmen landed here and took Carrickfergus Castle with a grin, proving that six hundred guys beat two hundred easily. It was basically a heist movie with swords and very wet feet. Bring someone who will believe anything I tell you about it.

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.