From the CS Lewis Trail, to the Brontë Homeland, discover the places and landscapes that breathe life into the stories that have left an indelible mark on the literary world.
Check out our list of some of the fascinating literary destinations across Northern Ireland that are well worth a visit.
1. Verbal Arts Centre, Bishop Street Within, Derry / Londonderry
The Verbal Arts Centre is the perfect place to nourish your writing and poetry skills. The centre regularly holds workshops aimed at helping everyone to ‘tell their story’. There are various programmes available for different age ranges, such as Verbal Wellbeing - a workshop to celebrate literature and enhance the confidence of individuals with public speaking and storytelling. For more information, go to theverbal.co Photo: DiscoverN
2. The Narnia Trail, Kilbroney Park, Shore Road, Rostrevor, Co Down
Belfast born author, CS Lewis, spent much of his childhood in the Mournes and Rostrevor. As notable areas of outstanding natural beauty, the locations inspired him to write his successful novel series ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, which sold more than 100 million copies globally. In his own words, he wrote to his brother stating: “that part of Rostrevor which overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia”. The Narnia Trail in Kilbroney Park is the perfect destination for a family day out. The trail, which is 0.5 miles long, takes inspiration from the book, and begins with the magical Wardrobe Door, and visitors can also expect to see The Lamp Post and Aslan’s Table along the way. This trail certainly brings the Chronicles of Narnia to life, allowing the imaginations of youngsters to flourish. For more information, please go to walkni.com Photo: DiscoverNI
3. CS Lewis Trail, Avalon House, 278-280 Newtownards Road, Belfast.
Fans of CS Lewis can also spend the day completing the CS Lewis Trail in Belfast, which highlights places of inspiration for the author in his younger years. The trail begins with CS Lewis Square in East Belfast, in which visitors can admire statues which depict characters from Narnia, including Aslan, The White Witch, and Mr Tumnus. The next stop on the trail is St Mark’s Church, which may have inspired the character of Aslan, as the doors of the church open with a lion shaped door handle. With many stops in between, visitors can finish their tour at The Lamppost Cafe, inspired by CS Lewis most popular writings, for a hot beverage and a traybake. For more information, go to discovernorthernireland.com Photo: DiscoverNI
4. Brontë Homeland, Banbridge
Located in Co Down, just 10 miles from Banbridge, lies the old cobblestone cottage of Patrick Brontë, born on March 17, 1777. Patrick’s three daughters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne went on to become very successful and well known writers, with books such as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre renowned English classics. Although Charlotte was the only sibling to have visited the island of Ireland, fans of the authors can visit the Brontë Homeland, witnessing where the family began with Patrick, who was born in the small dwelling. The cottage is just one stop on the 10 mile route. Tourists can also visit Drumballyroney Church on Church Hill Road, where Patrick delivered his first sermon after his studies at Cambridge University, or the small school where he taught, which still stands to this day. For more information, go to visitarmagh.com Photo: DiscoverNI