The Lagan Canal reached Aghalee in March 1792; the village developed into an important lock station. Aghalee lies on the now-disused Lagan Navigation Canal and preserves numerous structures and buildings associated with the Lagan Navigation dating from the 18th century. The date marks the canal’s arrival, while the surviving structures point to its physical presence in the village. The historic lock station and today’s canal recreation area thus represent different aspects of the village’s history and landscape.

Canal History and Landscape

Broadwater was a natural depression that was enlarged and dredged to form part of the canal. The contrast between the natural landform and the engineered waterway illustrates how the landscape was transformed. Today, the canal and towpath form a scenic recreational area with diverse wildlife.

The Lagan Towpath includes a 3½-mile section from Moira Station to Soldierstown Aghalee and forms part of the National Cycle Network route between Lisburn and Jordanstown via Belfast. For route planning, it is important to distinguish between the two scales: the 3½ miles refer to the specified towpath section, while Lisburn, Jordanstown and Belfast locate the wider cycle route. This makes it possible to distinguish the specific section from the larger network connection.

Churches and Older Traces

In Soldierstown stands Holy Trinity Church, a traditional barn-style church with a square tower, built in the 17th-century Caroline style. Its Gothic-style stained-glass windows date from the 1890s; the west gallery also houses a hundred-year-old two-manual Evans & Barr pipe organ. Two-manual means that the organ has two keyboards. The building and its features represent different periods: the church dates to the 17th century, while the windows date to the late 19th century. Visitors with musical skills may play the organ if they make arrangements in advance.

The ruins of Aghalee Old Church can be seen in the graveyard at the corner of Ballinderry Road and Old Church Lane. A bullaun stone also remains at Old Aghalee. In contrast to Holy Trinity Church, the focus here is on ruins and an archaeological feature rather than architectural style and furnishings. These traces thus complement the church architecture with another aspect of the local heritage.

Water Activities

Moira Lakes is located at 32 Old Church Lane, Aghalee. It offers beginner-friendly stand-up paddleboarding on calm water, as well as lifeguard-supervised cold-water open-water swimming. The choice depends on the activity and conditions: calm water for paddling, or cold open water with lifeguard supervision for swimming. Check the current offering before your visit if you plan to take part in either activity.

Discover more destinations: Ravernet, Lisburn, Annahilt, Upper Ballinderry, Hillsborough, Stonyford, Moira.

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