A Spring Evening to Ardglass

With the fine Spring weather forecast to break, it seemed like an ideal time to take a short bike run to somewhere picturesque, although with the date set a mid-week night and the mundane reality of work the next day, it couldn't be too long (mores the pity!). Nicola had, also, yet to ride pillion on the new Explorer and I was keen to get a relaxed ride to enable her to get used to the new bike and its mind-boggling power. Ardglass was the destination I had in mind, a quiet port village on the south-east County Down coast and one I knew quite well from my days as an archaeology student. We started to get 'geared up' almost as soon as we got home from work, in the warm evening air, it wasn't long before the thermal bike gear meant we were quickly overheating.

We set off towards Comber, my plan was to take the A22 road south towards Killyleagh and Downpatrick (a road I have travelled many times) and subsequently the B1 south-east from Downpatrick to Ardglass. We just missed the tail end of the rush hour traffic, but any stragglers were quickly dealt with by a twist of the drive-by-wire throttle, the extra weight of a pillion ensuring a slight lift of the front wheel as the bike (and its electronics) worked out the best way to place the 135bhp onto the tarmac. The evening light was still bright, although occasionally dimmed by the passing of puffy clouds overhead. Outside Killyleagh, fields to either side of the road glowed with the sun's light on the oilseed rape crops, the scent too was strong, but fresh and an exceptionally pleasant experience, almost acting as a revival from the long dark winters we have in Ireland, and the seasonal apathy they induce.

Antiquarian depiction of the Ardglass & 2000 excavation

We swept through Killyleagh, onwards towards the altogether more busy Downpatrick, through the town and onto the B1 south-east. I can remember this road from my undergraduate studies, as the teaching excavation in 1999 or 2000 was in Ardglass and we travelled this road daily. It was, though, in a much worse condition that I remember; my Metzeler EXP tyres are squaring badly, having been on the bike from new, so only 5000 miles in they are past their best, to put it mildly, but more alarmingly the bike squirmed on the rough and rutted road, at times 'banana-ing' in the corners. I needed all my concentration and as a result wasn't really able to enjoy the road. The time has come for new tyres and the EXP's will not be going back on the bike - their life is short and the choice seems to be the 100% road-biased Michelin Pilot Road 4 or the road-biased Metzeler Tourance Next. Despite my tyre troubles, I was surprised at the road condition; testament, perhaps, to the lack of money in government or the complete lack of competence (you decide!).

Ardglass was sleepy as we rode through, occasional surprised looks from locals as the space-age looking bike growled through the narrow streets: Ardglass is, now, a quiet fishing port. However, it was an exceptionally important harbour in the Medieval and Post-medieval eras. The name is from the Irish Ard Ghlas meaning 'green height' (Muhr, 2009) and is one of the few natural harbours on the north-east Irish coastline.

I have written about Ardglass from a historical and biking point of view for my next book (Hibernia: Journals From A Motorcycle: Vol. 1) so don't want to repeat myself. However, the port town is interesting once the historical and archaeological surfaces are scratched. So I have included a 'Hibernia' extract here: The monuments in Ardglass are, mostly, of ‘tower house’ type; although their various functions appear to have differed, for example, Jordan’s Castle is probably a residential tower house, whereas Horn and Cowd Castles are smaller buildings, both situated on a ridge with the excavated remains housed within the confines of the golf club, and are likely to be connected. Early views of the remains now part of the golf club – named Ardglass Castle – show: “…a long, ruined battlemented building having three towers, one at each end and a central one, with a number of arches or openings at ground level in the north walls (the front wall) of the wings between the towers.” (McNeill, 2005, 3). What gave rise to the curiosity in these structures was another, earlier, description of the building which categorically interpreted them as a [medieval] line of shops, with some military aspects. Excavation by McNeill did seem to corroborate this interpretation. It is also recorded that King John stayed in Ardglass in 1210 at the castle of Jordan de Saukville, whose principal manor was in Holywood (probably associated with the motte in the town). One should not confuse the 13th century Jordan de Saukville and Simon Jordan, the 16th century merchant who built Jordan's Castle in Ardglass, that castle is purely associated with the latter merchant (Lawlor, 1928, 141). The site of King John's stay would have been a palisaded fort surmounting the hill known as 'The Ward' or 'Guard of Ardglass' where, apparently, earthworks can still be seen (Ibid). Possibly the oldest castles in Ardglass are 'King's Castle' and 'Queen's Castle' - which were amalgamated and reconstructed into a baronial mansion in the 19th century and now known as 'King's Castle'. Riding past all the towers brought back a lot of memories, all happy, although they are tinged with regret that archaeology is a field I no longer am engaged with professionally.

Jordan's Castle

We dismounted and sat in, ordering a chip in the middle of the town, wolfing down the traditional chips with tins of Diet Coke and Fanta. But as I gazed out over the harbour waters, I realised that the sun was starting to descend and with it the temperature, it was time to start the ride home. The route out of Ardglass was roughly north-west and as a result we were facing the setting sun; now hues of pink and purple, stretching as a continuous line of the horizon. Birds seemed stationary as our speeds matched and both Nicola and I had a 'Zen' trance-like state, staring at wonderment at the show nature was unintentionally displaying for us. I was at peace with the world around me, and in a state of complete relaxation. I opened my visor to let the cool Spring air rush into my face and lungs, the sudden burst of freshness as I did so initially took my breath away.

Outside Downpatrick, instead of taking the road already travelled, I turned northwards on the main A7 towards Crossgar, passing the turnoff for Inch Abbey (that I was sorely tempted to take). The long sweeping A road is a joy if there is no other traffic, and we appeared to be the only people heading back to Belfast. The road was, though, longer than I had remembered and it was only outside Saintfield that I realised the journey down had seemed much shorter. Nicola and I both pointed at Rowallane Gardens, a National Trust site to the south of Saintfield that I never knew existed - but one that we were both keen to point out to the other as it will undoubtedly be somewhere we will visit together.

Once home we both had a palpable excitement combined with intense relaxation, which is an odd and at times bizarre emotional combination. It has been a while since Nicola and I had been out on the bike together, but I was pleased that Nicola hasn't lost her passion for visiting places on the bike, and also that she bonded with the new Explorer; even remarking how much better the design was for her comfort. I now hope that Sping lasts long, turning to an even longer lasting summer. I have a thrist to get on the bike and to see new places. It must be quenched!