The Palace Stables And Demesne

3 ECHOES

Location: Armagh, Armagh City and Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Jack McDonald

This is an Audio Tour of a public park/historical grounds once built and owned by Archbishop Richard Robinson in the Town of Armagh, the grounds are 300 acres in size and hosts many different uses such as Golf Course, Cross Country Biking, Rugby Club/Fields and Forest Walks. It was once the residence of the Archbishop’s of The Church of Ireland from 1770 to 1975. The Georgian Buildings that were constructed in 1770 still stand today.

In this Audio Tour I will talk about the history of the Palace, the experiences you can have here and why I feel towns and cities need places like this.

The Palace Buildings

Armagh has Many Landmarks but one of its oldest is the Archbishop’s Palace. Once used as a government building, it was built in the Georgian period and has survived for 254 years. It has been listed as a Grade A building, recognising its significant Historical importance to Northern Ireland. There are a few buildings immediately beside the Palace; Directly next to the Palace building is a private Chapel, once used by the Archbishops of The Church of Ireland now occasionally used for weddings, Behind the Palace is a glasshouse building surrounded by formal gardens, And past the chapel there is a stable/coach yard, formally a restaurant. Also on the grounds is the local counsel depot and dog warden.

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Forrest & Views

I have visited this park on many occasions, frequently I have taken a picture of this view within the Grounds, in the large forest. This view looks out towards another landmark in Armagh called Navan Fort which was the site of a bronze/iron age place of worship which is probably the most significant site on the island of Ireland. I have uploaded some of these photos to Google Maps which has some amazing photos of the grounds, buildings and key sights. On one side of the forest there is a children’s playground and an outdoor Gym, from the gym you can see many landmarks in the distance such as Churches and Cathedrals and historic buildings/points of interest such as the Armagh Observatory which was founded by Archbishop Robinson in 1790 or Tower Hill Hospital which was built on the grounds of the workhouses which where in use during the Famine.

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Old Friary & Other Landmarks

Beside the entrance of the Park there is what’s left of an old monastery/friary and a well found at the far end of the rugby pitch, these were built by Franciscan monks in 1264 and dedicated to St Bridget. Close to the ruins is a Victorian building which has also once been used by the government. Also beside the ruins is gallows hill which was used for public executions until the building of the Armagh city gaol, built by Archbishop Robinson in 1809, as he objected to them performing executions in his grounds. Today’s entrance into the grounds was not the original entry, which was further up to the north east connected to what is now the Golf Club. The original entrance gave a more impressive view of the Palace as it was obscured by the hill until you crossed a small decorative stone bridge which still stands at the bottom of the hill.

Personally, I feel towns and cities need free public places like this, as it opens opportunities for people to exercise, socialise, is great for the image of a town/city and allows nature into a congested area.

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