Requisite Bung

There were ten of us on Island Taggart yesterday.

For those of you who might not have been following the narrative, Island Taggart belongs to the National Trust.

It lies on Strangford Lough, County Down, near Killyleagh.

At the moment we're using a dinghy to get to the island from an old quay on the mainland.

This dinghy has a four horse-power outboard motor; though we are apprised that the NT is giving us a new boat next year.

We presently have to use a cork bung to keep it afloat; modern technology is marvellous!

The island is merely five minutes' away from the mainland at any rate.

Today, as usual, we cut and burned gorse.

The hedgerows on Taggart are rich with blackthorn, hawthorn, rose-hips, blackberries and many other plants so essential to birds at this time of year.

Tomasz managed to pick some rose-hips at lunchtime.

Summer House

I'm absolutely delighted that the adorable little summer-house or gazebo at Florence Court, County Fermanagh, has been rebuilt to its original specifications.

The first one was maliciously burnt just over a year ago.

I'd only wish to extend my compliments and cordial congratulations to all involved in this splendid and admirable feat; especially those in County Fermanagh and the Impartial Reporter newspaper.

Taggart Revisited

East Down Yacht Club from the island

I spent a terrific day on Island Taggart yesterday with about a dozen other National Trust volunteers.

This was my first visit since September, 2013.

The island has a considerable amount of gorse in places, so we were cutting and burning it.

The field we concentrated on was on the western side of the island, directly opposite East Down Yacht Club.

In fact we landed on the shore here; indeed it's a pity we can't use the yacht club as a base to get over to Taggart.

The field in question is below the old farmstead at the top of the island, which was last inhabited in 1967.

At lunchtime Hugh and Maureen arrived in Cuan Brig, the National Trust barge, in order to deliver parts of a cattle pen.

There are believed to be 28 cattle on the island, including one bull.

Royalty in Fermanagh

His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent is undertaking a two-day visit to County Fermanagh.

The Duke of Kent this morning visited Ready Eggs Limited, Manor Water House Farm, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh.

His Royal Highness, President, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, this afternoon opened Carrybridge Lifeboat Station, Carrybridge, County Fermanagh.

HRH later viewed an emergency services exercise at Enniskillen Airport, 62 Killadeas Road, Trory, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

The Duke of Kent opened Horizon West Children's Hospice, Killadeas, Enniskillen, and was received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of County Fermanagh (the Viscount Brookeborough).

His Royal Highness this afternoon visited Arc Healthy Living Centre, 116-122 Sallys Wood, Irvinestown, County Fermanagh.

The Duke of Kent, President, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, later visited the Commonwealth War Graves in Derryvullan North Church of Ireland Churchyard, County Fermanagh.

His Royal Highness subsequently visited the recently restored Famine Graveyard in Reihill Park, Irvinestown.

The Duke of Kent afterwards visited St. Gabriel's Retreat, the Graan, Enniskillen.

His Royal Highness later visited the Inniskillings Museum, the Castle, Enniskillen.

HRH visited the ARC Healthy Living Centre in Irvinestown and met staff and guests.

His Royal Highness also met a range of volunteers from uniformed organisations, hospital volunteers and recipients of the British Empire Medal.

Greenway Progress

View from Mersey Street Bridge, October, 2015

Work progresses well along the river Conn's Water in east Belfast.

Yesterday I visited Mersey Street and, at the bridge, two large cement lorries were stationary.

The scene is looking from Mersey Street Bridge towards Victoria Park.

At the moment it's hard to visualize the new paths in correlation to the river, though of course this increases one's interest and enthusiasm.

Work has also begun further along the river, at Beer's Bridge.

McCutcheon's Field Day

Tomasz has considered that today might have been one of our final visits to McCutcheon's Field in 2015.

This property of the National Trust is about a mile from Groomsport, County Down.

Today, yet again, we were cutting and burning gorse bushes.

The Dexter cattle were there.

there were about eight of us today.

Castle Ward Visit

I spent a most agreeable three hours at Castle Ward yesterday, on what was a fine, sunny autumn day.

Castle Ward, County Down, is, of course, the ancestral seat of the Viscounts Bangor. Indeed, the family still has an apartment in the mansion house.

When I arrived I made a bee-line for the cafeteria in the stable-yard, where I had a delicious bowl of very thick curried carrot and parsnip soup, served with a generous slice of wheaten-bread.

Castle Ward has been a property of the National Trust since the early 1950s.

The Tack Room

I think the 7th Viscount gave the estate to the Northern Ireland government at the time as part of death duties.

After lunch, I took advantage of the free wi-fi in the stable-yard and posted a few photographs.

Thence I donned the wellington boots and had a long walk through the estate woodland.

I passed the former gamekeeper's cottage, otherwise known as the Bunkhouse; the pond; and a very large field with cattle.

BACK at the mansion house, I admired the prospect from the garden front of Strangford Lough.

Scrub and bushes have been cleared from the area between the house and the stable-yard outbuildings, revealing a very small single-storey cottage or bothy, which has obviously been derelict for many years.

I've been coming to Castle Ward since I was a boy and I've never seen this building before.

I wonder what its purpose was? Did it store something?

Bonito Cottage

Before I departed I visited the farmyard, where Old Castle Ward is located, and walked past the former smithy to the charming Bonito Cottage.