Carrickfergus & Glenarm

After a good night’s sleep not disturbed by the nearby road traffic noise we enjoy bacon butties for breakfast before moving on around 11am.

Our first stop is Carrickfergus to see the castle. We manage to squeeze the van across a couple of parking spaces in the marina carpark and hope that no-one parks next to us so we can get out again on our return.

The 12th century medieval castle is impressive and we enjoy our wander around the battlements and up the towers. Great views across the Irish Sea to Scotland and the island of Ailsa Craig.

Happily there’s plenty of manoeuvring space for our exit from the carpark and then we are back on the A2 coastal causeway route to Glenarm. We travel through Larne which is still awash with union flags and royal coronation decorations. The sea views are grey but great as we travel the twenty+ miles.

Today we are overnighting for free in Glenarm marina carpark. It’s empty when we arrive apart from a couple of cars and a bin lorry but as I sit here now writing my blog at 6:45 pm there are seven vans and motorhomes so it’s quite a popular spot.

After a bit of lunch we walk into the village. Glenarm castle is the big attraction for it’s walled garden. We walk first to the Barbican gate, once an entrance to the castle grounds but now holiday accommodation.

The surrounding houses are prettily painted in a variety of pastel colours. We walk to the gardens calling in at a couple of onsite artisan shops selling wooden bits and bobs and pottery but resist buying anything. However we balk at paying £8.50 each for the garden as there’s only an hour left lol but we did enjoy the walk to it!

Next a quick visit to the two village churches, St. Patricks, Church of Ireland which is undergoing some repair work and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception RC church which is a lot prettier with some lovely stained glass windows.

A little sit looking over the beach ends our wander before we return to the van. A bit of blogging for me and TV for Tony.

There are only two pubs in the village, the Coast Road Inn and the Bridge End Tavern and they are literally next door to each other.

We quaff a couple of drinks in the Coast Road Inn. Enjoy a chat with the barmaid and find out there’s no food on offer and it appears all food establishments are in the next village along as well as the ATM’s. We would need cash to order a takeaway which we don’t have. Oh dear, dinner in the van again.

Onto the Bridge End Tavern next door and we fully intend on having one drink. It’s busy with mostly older men but has a nice vibe to it. Although it’s June both pubs have roaring fires so they are not expecting a heatwave. Not long after we arrive they start drawing a sweep for the upcoming European football championships with much guffawing and banter over who’s getting which team and the odds of them winning. At the end the landlord hands out a glass of fizz with a strawberry in and a plate of cheese and biscuits and kindly includes us. We are well chuffed so obviously have to buy a second pint.