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markets · Monday 31 August 2026 · 11:00am 
Antiques at the Ramble - Ballymena
At The Ramble Inn · Antrim Main Carriageway, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT41 2JT
At The Ramble Inn · Antrim Main Carriageway, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT41 2JT
If you have ever wondered what the attic of a very well-connected Victorian house might look like, a day at Antiques at the Ramble gives you a fair idea. Held at McLarnon’s Ramble Inn on the A26 between Ballymena and Antrim, this is billed as the largest antique fair in Northern Ireland - and with 30 or more dealers spread across the venue on Bank Holiday Monday, it earns that claim. It suits anyone who likes to browse with purpose: seasoned collectors after specific pieces, people furnishing a home with something that has a history behind it, and curious browsers who just enjoy handling things that have been around longer than they have.
The dealer mix is genuinely broad. On any given fair day you can find silver flatware and serving pieces, Royal Worcester porcelain, Victorian furniture and household items, oil lamps, original oil paintings, rare coins, Persian rugs, ceramics, glass, prints and postcards, vintage jewellery and antique jewellery, and a range of curiosities that do not fit neatly into any category. Quality is consistently reported as high - these are trade dealers, not car boot sellers. Admission is £2 per adult; children get in free. The fair runs from 11am to 5pm, which gives you a comfortable six hours if you want to work through methodically, or a relaxed couple of hours if you prefer to drift.
The BBC Bargain Hunt production team has filmed at this venue, with presenter Roo Irvine bringing the Red and Blue teams to compete among the stalls. That kind of attention tends to reflect well on the quality of stock you will find here.
The Ramble Inn sits on the Antrim Main Carriageway (A26), roughly midway between Ballymena town centre and Antrim. If you are driving from Belfast, take the M2 north to the A26 - it is a straightforward run of around 35 to 40 minutes. From Derry/Londonderry, the A26 south from Ballymena brings you directly to it. Translink bus services connect Ballymena with Belfast and other towns; from Ballymena Bus Centre, the venue is accessible by road along the A26. On-site parking is available at the inn.
The fair makes a good anchor for a day out in this part of Antrim. Ballymena town itself has a compact centre worth a walk, and the surrounding countryside - the Braid Valley, the Antrim Hills to the south - is close enough to add an hour of fresh air before or after the fair. There is more to see in Ballymena and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to The Ramble Inn in Ballymena? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Ballymena area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.