This luxury 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom ground floor, water's edge apartment in The Quay, enjoys fabulous views across Dundrum Bay to the majestic Mourne Mountains, made famous by the songs of the Irish writer, Percy French. Located right at the water's edge, you can enjoy the beautiful views from the bright and spacious open plan kitchen, dining and living area. These vistas change hourly with the movement of the tides and the changing light, and is one of the most impressive views in Ireland; at times they are spectacular, especially in the evenings. The apartment benefits from a private patio and pretty garden accessed from the living room through double patio doors. The master bedroom also looks out on to the beautiful bay and impressive mountains while the guest bedroom enjoys delightful private garden views looking out to Murlough and the bay beyond. The apartment is well equipped with everything you need to ensure a comfortable and relaxing stay with a parking space a few steps from the front door.
Things to do: Whether you are looking for a relaxing get away from it all holiday or an adventure filled holiday, this apartment is the perfect base. It offers a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers, photographers, writers, artists, and those seeking a variety of outdoor pursuits. Dundrum is a pretty village only 2 minutes walk from the apartment which is set within a small, tasteful development on the South Down coastline. It offers several historical sites including a 13th century De Courcy castle and the bay in which the SS Great Britain, designed by Brunei, was grounded for nearly a year in 1647. It also offers a multitude of nature walks within the beautiful Murlough Bay Nature Reserve as well as inside the castle ruins, all within easy walking distance. There is also a pretty local walk, part way along the old 18th and 19th century railway line (no longer in use) to Downpatrick. The village is well equipped and you can find everything here to meet your needs during your stay - two small supermarkets, a petrol station, pharmacy, off licence, coffee shops, hairdressers, beauty salons and excellent award-winning restaurants, the Bucks Head and the Mourne Seafood Bar.
In nearby Newcastle you can enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities including golf, hiking, cycling, fishing, mountain climbing, canoeing etc. Newcastle is home to the world class gold course, the Royal County Down, which recently hosted the Irish Open. The stunning Slieve Donard Hotel has a luxury spa perfect for a little pampering. Nearby Castlewellan has a beautiful castle, lake and gardens - perfect for walks, cycling and canoeing while the village of Seaforde offers a pretty Tropical Butterfly Farm and garden.
The nearby beautiful Tollymore Forest Park, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, is one of the locations where many scenes from the Game of Thrones were filmed. Only a few miles further away, outside the town of Downpatrick, is an impressive National Trust property Castle Ward. Game of Thrones filming was also shot here and the Castle was the location of Winterfell. The grounds of Castleward along Strangford Lough, are extensive and make a beautiful setting for both loughside and forest walking. Castleward was also the location for a recent episode of the Antiques Roadshow.
The historic town of Downpatrick is only 10 minutes drive away. It has a cathedral, nearby Inch Abbey ( Robb Starks camp in Game of Thrones), and St Patrick's Information Centre. From nearby Strangford town you can catch a ferry to Portaferry and drive around the Lough taking in the pretty and historic towns and villages of Strangford, Portaferry and Greyabbey. The recently refurbished National Trust property, Mount Stewart, with its beautiful lake and impressive gardens is well worth a visit.
Another interesting small nearby town worth visiting is Killyleagh, with its privately owned Castle, and a monument to Hans Sloan. Sloan was one of the founders of the British Museum, the British Library and the Natural History Museum, and was born here in 1660 & grew up in Killyleagh. On his death in 1753 he bequeathed over 71,000 items from his vast collection to the British nation.
Within a half day's drive you can reach most of the tourist sites in Northern Ireland - Strangford Lough, Antrim Coast with its world renowned Giants Causeway, and the Fermanagh lakes. The city of Belfast is now a very “buzzy” city with lots to offer and is within 45 minutes drive, while Dublin is only a 2 hour drive away.
