At the Square in Crossgar stands the James Martin Memorial Stone; Crossgar House (Tobar Mhuire) is a Grade A listed Regency parkland with 55 acres (22.3 ha) on the south-eastern side of the village. Tobar Mhuire complements the historic estate with a 3 km walking and heritage trail, a walled garden and historic buildings. At Rademon Estate Distillery, by contrast, gin-making takes centre stage. These different highlights help you shape your stay around local history, garden culture, walking or a guided distillery experience.
Gin Tour and Shortcross Experience
The official distillery tour offers an immersive, guided tour of the gin distillation process. Rademon Estate Distillery is accessible via Church Road, BT30 9HR. The Shortcross experience takes you to the copper stills and explains how gin and Irish whiskey are made. This puts the production process in focus alongside the finished drink.
Shortcross Gin is made with wild botanicals, including wild clover, apple, elderflowers and elderberries. The experience includes tastings of neat gin and guidance on pouring a G&T. On the Shortcross Discovery experience, you can also seal a personalised bottle of gin with wax yourself and take it home. The tour, tasting and take-home bottle each offer a different focus, spanning production, flavour and a practical memento of your visit.
Tobar Mhuire: Garden and Buildings
The Walled Garden offers a glimpse into the estate’s garden culture. It contains the Vinery Conservatory: the 145-foot (44 m) greenhouse was added around 1870. The garden also includes a restored pond. Permission to visit the Walled Garden must be arranged through the Retreat Centre; check the visiting arrangements before you arrive.
The buildings reflect different points in history. Tobar Mhuire’s gate lodge is a single-storey lodge dating from 1875. The original mansion house at Rademon Estate dates from 1667. The estate’s history goes back to 565 AD, so these dates refer to the history of the estate and to the later mansion house, respectively.
Walk, Views and Local History
The Tobar Mhuire trail is 3 km long and combines walking with heritage. Follow the trail markers in an anticlockwise direction. A short detour offers a view of the original Crossgar House; a seated viewpoint looks out over the Mournes. Along with the walk itself, the route features specific stopping points focused on different aspects of the estate.
Mary’s Well is marked as a holy well on the Tobar Mhuire trail. The Irish name Tobar Mhuire means “Mary’s well”. This cultural significance adds another dimension to the historic buildings and gardens, so the route is about more than just architecture or landscape.
The James Martin Memorial Stone is located on the Square in Crossgar. James Martin invented the aircraft ejection seat and co-founded the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company. Private retreats for quiet, personal reflection are also offered at Tobar Mhuire’s guesthouse. The walk, local memorial and retreat appeal to different interests and can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Dromore, Banbridge, Newcastle, Crawfordsburn, Dundrum, Strangford, Conlig, Killough.
For the wider travel guide: Down.
