Province Ulster | Phone +44 28 9082 9000 | |
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Address 203A Scrabo Rd, Newtownards BT23 4SJ, UK Similar Somme Heritage Centre, Mount Stewart, Ballycopeland Windmill, Kiltonga Wildlife Reserve, Mourne Mountains | ||
Scrabo tower what the heck just happened
Scrabo Tower is located to the west of Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. The turreted tower is a noted landmark and stands 540 feet (160 m) above sea level and is 125 feet (38 m) high.
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Scrabo tower
History
The landmark, which is visible from most of north Down, was built above Newtownards in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was one of the Duke of Wellington's generals during the Napoleonic Wars. The 3rd Marquis, or "Fighting Charlie" as he was also known, inherited the title and family seat of Mount Stewart after his brother, the 2nd Marquis, committed suicide. The 2nd Marquis is better known as Viscount Castlereagh, the politician who served a term as Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The tower was built to designs attributed to Charles Lanyon and WH Lynn, and now stands in a country park.
Today
The tower houses two floors of displays, and previously visitors had access to a viewing level via a climb of 122 steps. In April 2014, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency said that the tower had suffered "serious water ingress", which had damaged the electricity supply, and citing concerns for visitor safety, advised that the tower would close to visitors. As of 2015, the tower only opens occasionally, for example for European Heritage Open Days in September 2015.
Scrabo Country Park, in which the tower stands is also open to the public, and has several woodland walks and parkland through Killynether Wood. The view from the hill extends across Strangford Lough, scattered with its many islands, to the Mountains of Mourne and the Scottish coast.
Scrabo Golf Club is overlooked by the tower and park.