Ardress is nestled in the apple orchards of County Armagh and offers afternoons of fun and relaxation for everyone. Built in the 17th century as a farmhouse, Ardress was remodeled in Georgian times and has a character and charm all of its own.
- Elegant Neo-classical drawing-room with plasterwork by the Dublin plasterer Michael Stapleton
- Attractive garden with scenic woodland and riverside walks
- Home to an important collection of farm machinery and tools
- Rich apple orchards
- On display is the 1799 table made for the speaker of the Irish Parliament upon which King George V signed the Constitution of Northern Ireland on 22nd June 1921
Visitor Facilities:
Historic house, Farmyard, Garden, Shop, Guided tours, Suitable for picnics, Programme of events, Access for visitors with disability, Facilities for families, Learning, Dogs welcome on leads in grounds/garden only.
Lady's Mile Walk
The short Lady’s Mile walk guides you through a peaceful belt of woodland surrounding Ardress. Pause for a moment and through the gaps in the trees you can glimpse charming views of the white-walled farmhouse with its quiet apple orchard nestled in pastoral farmland. It is a moderate walk of about 20 minutes.
Farmyard
The farmyard’s proximity to the house itself is unusual and it boasts a comprehensive range of farm buildings such as a Dairy, Smithy, Tool Shed and Threshing Barn, all fully equipped with tools used at the time in the 18th Century.
Let your imagination take you on a journey….as a Dairy Maid perhaps milking the cows in the Byre followed by butter making in the Dairy or imagine yourself as the Blacksmith shoeing horses and making tools in the Smithy.
The farm nowadays comes to life with a collection of colourful chickens that wait patiently for the arrival of visitors. Come along and feed these colourful characters and also meet our cute Shetland ponies, Poppy and Murdy and the Soay sheep.
Ardress farmyard is also where you can find a total of 8 species of bats. You’ll have to come to one of our Bat evenings to fully appreciate them but there is an interesting exhibition in one of the buildings giving information about these nocturnal inhabitants.
With its sunny position facing south-west the farmyard appeals to all, whether to evoke childhood memories of days gone by or to simply provide a haven to experience the sights and sounds of the present.
