County
Down is one
of the six counties of Northern
Ireland. The county is situated between the sea inlets of
Belfast Lough and Carlingford Lough. It is bounded on the
east by the Irish Sea. Strangford
Lough is located within the county boundaries. The county
of Down has an area of 2,466 square kilometers (952 sq miles)
although the county is only about 50 miles long its coastline
amounts to about 200 miles. In
the west, it extends to the Southeast corner of Lough
Neagh, Ireland's largest lake.
Much
of the county of Down is a low
flat area. A feature of the landscape is the clusters of small
egg shaped hills called drumlins.
In the centre of the county, the mountains of Slieve
Croob rise to a height of 534 meters (1751 ft) above sea
level.
North
Down extends from the head of Strangford
Lough which is entirely within the county, to the shores of
Belfast Lough. The Ards Peninsula is the long peninsular of land
between Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea. The low-lying plain
around Downpatrick on the other
side of Strangford Lough is known as Lecale.
To the south is the
magnificent scenic area of the Mountains of Mourne.
Slieve Donard, the highest peak in Northern Ireland, reaches 852
meters (2,796 Ft)
In
the Mourne Mountains are the dams of the Silent
Valley, Spelga and Ben Crom which together with Lough Neagh
supply much of Northern Ireland's water. Tollymore
Forest Park, on the eastern slopes of the Mourne's, extends
to approximately 500 hectares (1235
acres) of forest. It is popular for picnicking and camping.
The climate
of Down is relatively mild with average rainfall
varying from 840 mm (31 inches) on the East coast to 1,700 mm (69 inches)
in the Mourne's. The average temperature in January is 5 °C and in
July is 15 °C.
Strangford
Lough is dotted with hundreds of small islands, on which seabirds
nest in great numbers. There is a swift tidal race at the Lough's narrow
entrance. A very expensive car ferry connects the villages of Portaferry
and Strangford across the narrows, although you will need to drive some
fifty miles to make the journey by road.
The county boasts several stately homes, Mount
Stewart the family seat of the Londonderry family is situated on the
Ards peninsular, a few miles south of the town of Newtownards.
Picturesquely located on the eastern shore of Strangford Lough, overlooking
the narrows and Audleys' Castle is Castle
Ward the Ward family came to County Down in the latter years of the
16th century around 1610 they built a tower house which still survives.
The present house dates from the 1760's, it is unique in that the east
and west facade are in completely different architectural styles, reflecting
the different tastes of the first Viscount and his wife.
St
Patrick's Centre
Market Street
Downpatrick
Co Down
BT30 6LZ
Tel +44 (0)28 4461 2233 E Mail Web
Site
Tourist
Information
Discover many interesting facts
about County Down from Lewis' Topographical
Directory of Ireland 1837.
Agriculture is an important
part of the economy of Down.
In the eastern part of the county, farmers specialize in dairy produce
and market gardening. In the low lying parts to the east, and the Ards
Peninsula, grain crops such as wheat, barley and oats. Potatoes are also
an important part of the agricultural economy, as is the rearing of sheep,
which traditionally was confined to the less fertile upland areas, today
however sheep are to be seen throughout the entire county.
The rearing
of beef cattle and dairy farming are important to agriculture, in the
past almost every farm kept at least one sow and a few pigs, today pig
farming tends to be carried out in specialized units.
Tourism makes a significant contribution to the
economy of the county, taking advantage of county's natural resources
ranging from rugged mountains to rolling plains, traversed by meandering
rivers, and dotted with little lakes.
The coast line and sea Lough's are well provided
with water sports facilities. It is on the eastern coast that most of
the county's castle and towers are situated,
many a legacy of the Norman
conquest of Ireland.
