Henly Gate

Explorer Tom This enclosure near Prospect House is tricky, maybe a tree ring or old structure, so let's just admire the brown house from afar.

Explorer Tom Carrickfergus Railway Station stood ready for travellers in the 1880s, now just a charming silhouette to admire.

Explorer Tom This stone marks US Rangers who camped at Sunnylands during WWII. A quiet nod to history.

Explorer Tom Picture the Siege of Carrickfergus: imagine defenders holding the castle’s north-east side against determined besiegers.

Explorer Tom The First Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church Memorial Halls have been a hub since 1820, and I imagine they host all sorts of community events.

Explorer Tom St Nicholas’ Church in Carrickfergus spans medieval to modern times, showing you a long, layered story right here.

Explorer Tom Tucked away on Lancasterian Street, Carrickfergus Museum is where the town’s past winks back at you with a cheeky smile.

Explorer Tom Joymount is a fortified house built on a Franciscan friary in Carrickfergus, layering religious history with post-medieval domestic life.

Explorer Tom The King William III Monument stands near Carrickfergus Castle in County Antrim, a stone tribute to history’s more theatrical monarchs.

Explorer Tom Frenchman François Thurot captured Carrickfergus Castle in 1760, surprising the small garrison of soldiers.

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 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.