Waringstown is a one-street village in north Down that owes its existence, almost entirely, to one family with one industry. William Waring bought the land in 1659, built the house in 1667, built the church in 1681, and brought his English tenants in to weave linen. His son Samuel went on a trip to Holland in 1688, came home with the technique for damask weaving, and the village had a global trade for the next two hundred years.
Walk down Main Street today and the bones are all still there. Waring House at one end, Holy Trinity at the other, a row of low Huguenot-style cottages between them that were thrown up in the 1690s for the Flemish weavers Samuel brought across. The Lawn - the cricket ground next to the church - has hosted championship sides since the 1900s. The village won Best Kept Small Town more than once for the floral displays along that same Main Street.
Be honest about what it is now, though. The looms are long gone. The new estates on the Banbridge Road are commuter housing for Lurgan and Portadown. There's one proper pub, a chipper, and a parish church that still pulls a congregation. Come for the buildings and the cricket. Don't come expecting a night out.
Three things every local will eventually mention. Read these and you've already understood more than most day-trippers do.
William Waring built Waringstown House in 1667 - Grade A listed, two towers either side of the door, still lived in by his descendants. Frederick Schomberg billeted his troops here on the march to the Boyne in 1690.
Stories & lore → 02 The churchHoly Trinity was consecrated in 1681 - built by William Waring for his tenants, many of them brought over from the north of England. The oak roof was adzed from the surrounding woods. The tower is later (1740s); the bell was hung in 1750.
Stories & lore → 03 The cricketWaringstown CC was a founder member of the NCU Senior League in 1897 and is the most successful side in its history. The Lawn - the ground beside the church - has hosted championship-winning sides since the early 1900s.
Stories & lore →None of these are themed Irish pubs, because they don't need to be. A few that earn the trip:
51 Main Street, the village's only pub. Sky Sports, rugby crowd on Thursdays, a fire and a pint. Burned out in 2018 and rebuilt - the locals call this the post-fire one.
| Place | Type | € | Local note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Chippy | Chipper | € | 61 Main Street, a few doors up from the Village Inn. The default Friday-evening run for half the village. |
The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.
Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.
There is no bad time. There are different times.
Cricket pre-season starts to build. The floral displays the village wins prizes for go in around May. Quiet, mild.
NCU Senior League cricket every weekend at The Lawn. The Vintage Cavalcade weekend brings a crowd. Best time to be here.
Cricket season winds up. Light goes early. Nothing much else happening.
A commuter village in the dark. The pub is open. The church is heated. Otherwise pass through.
If a local was sitting beside you, this is the bit where they'd lean in.
It's a private family home. Lived in. You can admire it from the road and the church gate. That's the deal.
One pub. No restaurants beyond the chipper. If you want dinner and music, Lurgan is ten minutes north and Banbridge is fifteen minutes south.
The looms went silent decades ago. The Huguenot cottages are still there, but they are houses, not a museum. The story is in the buildings; do not expect a visitor centre.
Just off the A26 Lurgan-Banbridge road. Belfast is 35km (40 minutes via the M1). Lurgan is 6km north, Banbridge 12km south.
Translink/Ulsterbus route 56 runs Lurgan to Banbridge via Waringstown. Stop is on Main Street. Roughly hourly Monday-Saturday, less on Sundays.
Nearest stations are Lurgan and Portadown on the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise line. Both 10-15 minutes by car.
Belfast International (BFS) is 35km. Belfast City (BHD) is 40km. Dublin is 130km.