Sylvia Thompsonvisits Ballygally Castle Hotel, Co Antrim
THE BALLYGALLY Castle Hotel is reputedly the only 17th-century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland. Although, it is only 42km from Belfast, it is firmly located in the heartland of rural Antrim.
Ballygally village itself is tiny and the hotel is undoubtedly the highlight of the locality. Upon arrival, we quickly realised that we would be eating in the hotel that evening as the only real alternative was the local inn with bar food and live music.
The original castle was built in the style of a French chateau by its owner, James Shaw, a native of Greenock in Scotland who rented the land from the Earl of Antrim. The castle stayed in the Shaw family until they lost their lands and wealth in the early 1880s. The castle was occupied as a coastguard station and then again as a private residence before being bought in the 1950s by Cyril Lord who refurbished it as a hotel. The Hastings Hotel Group bought it from Lord in 1966 and it now has a four star status.
The receptionist didn't take much interest in us as guests and simply explained where our room was, asking if we would need assistance with our bags. With only small overnight cases, we decided to carry them ourselves and take in the atmosphere without accompanied staff.
Our bedroom was in the turreted tower of the original castle, so we headed along the corridor, taking a glimpse at the Dungeon room and the 1625 room (where a small civil wedding ceremony had taken place earlier that day) on our way. I found myself thinking how some American tourists would be in awe of staying in a place like this but, for me, the anticipation of spending the night in a 17th-century tower was tempered by the chill in the air as we followed the spiral stone staircase up the two floors to our room.
The room itself was cosy and warm. The fabrics and furnishing was of a high standard, and striped red and green patterns on the quilt, curtains and upholstery on the chairs blended well.
A large bed took up most of the space and the big free-standing wardrobe had a kind of Narnia look to it that would have appealed to the children if they'd been with us. However, the overall impression was that the room was a bit cramped, which was partly due to the low beamed ceiling.
Getting ready for dinner was a bit of struggle as the dressing room squeezed into the turret was simply too small to use. Similarly, the en suite (with shower and toilet) built into the other corner of the room wasn't comfortable to spend any time in.
When we made our way downstairs we found the large dining room - which doubles as a banquet hall - to be lacking in atmosphere. Most guests looked a bit uncomfortable, sitting at big sturdy tables in this huge room, which wasn't divided off in any way to create a more interesting space. Somewhere off in a corner, a piano player did her best to create an intimate mood.
And so, we ordered our meal. Soup for starters, followed by cod and chips for me and steak for my husband. The food is often cited as the worst part of the experience in many middle-ranking hotels and, sadly, we'd have to concur this time. Everything was bland and the staff didn't seem to care much about what they were serving. Maybe the wedding party in the other part of the hotel had overstretched the chef that night but whatever the reason, dinner at Ballygally Castle wasn't up to much.
Disappointed, we decided to head outside for a walk along the seafront which skirts the entire village of Ballygally. We had the place to ourselves and were reminded once again how quiet the village was for somewhere less than an hour from Belfast. Refreshed by the walk, we decided to go for a drink. However, with the wedding party spilling out into the main bar, there wasn't much space left for other hotel guests.
We returned to our room and settled down for the night. The next morning, the dining room was buzzing with wedding guests enjoying good hearty Ulster fries. The room seemed much more suited to breakfast, with large platters of cooked food and an excellent selection of cereals, fruit, bread, pastries, along with a tureen of porridge that would feed an advancing army.
Overnight cases packed, bills paid, we headed up along the Antrim coast to Waterfoot Bay and enjoyed a walk along the beach. Back in the car, we were tempted to drive to the Giant's Causeway, which we had so enjoyed on another trip many years ago but, instead, the city of Belfast drew us back southwards. We vowed that on our next visit, we'd make time to travel again right up along this spectacular coastline.
WhereBallygally Castle, Ballygally, Co Antrim, 00-44-282-8581066, www.hastingshotels.com.
WhatFour star hotel on Antrim Coast Road in a castle dating back to 17th century.
Rooms44 bedrooms, including two suites and six family rooms.
Best ratesOne night's accommodation with full Irish breakfast is £80 (€90) for two adults sharing a double or twin room midweek.
Restaurant and barsBar and the Antrim restaurant
Child friendlinessSuitable for families but children and adults alike need to be careful on the stone stairs in the tower.
Conference facilitiesThe 1625 room and the Dungeon room are suitable for small business meetings and private family celebrations.