You will visit three
Marquis’s before finding the co-ordinates to the final cache. Those
given above are for the first stop off point on your quest. The
sites can be visited in any order but I would suggest visiting them
in the order given, although some may prefer reverse order, for
last orders! You can get close to each location by car, but I
suggest parking and getting out on foot, it should take no longer
than an hour, including your final search. The car parks are found
at the centre of the village or at the forest park, both are free.
You could even take the opportunity to bag the other two nearby
caches of
“
Back to the Ivies” and
“
The Foxes Fort”.
Things you
could do while in Hillsborough
( Following extract from the Lisburn Council Heritage Web
site)
Visit:-
The Courthouse, which is based in the Square in
Hillsborough, is one of the finest examples of Georgian
architecture in Ireland. The central arcade block was built by
Wills Hill in 1760 and in 1810 the North wing was added and housed
a courthouse. This is also home of the Local Tourist Information
Office.
St Malachy's Church has a 3 storey tower,
capped by pinnacles set at the corners and rising from the centre
is the soaring spire. The church was enlarged and restored by Wills
Hill in 1772 and has been described as one of the best 18th century
churches in Ireland. Close to the church is a memorial to
Sir Hamilton
Harty.
Hillsborough Castle, an impressive 18th century
mansion house was built in the 1770's by Wills Hill, first Marquis
of Downshire. The mansion is now the official residence of the
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Other special guests
include members of the Royal Family on their visits to Northern
Ireland, former US president Clinton and President Bush. It is also
where Royal Garden Parties are regularly staged. It can be viewed
through the wonderful wrought iron gates in The Square.
Hillsborough
Fort, across from the Castle, built on the site of the old
Magennes stronghold, provides a fabulous centrepiece for the Forest
Park. The fort was completed around 1650 by Colonel Arthur Hill and
used as an artillery fortification. In later years it was used by
the Hill family for entertainment purposes.
Hillsborough
International Oyster Festival, the village plays host to this each
September –
for
details
Way Points for
Stages, The co-ordinates and questions can be found in the
Additional Waypoint Table below.