Downpatrick

Every Friday morning, the cattle market brings proper life to this ancient county town, just as it has for centuries. Downpatrick wears its age well - after all, this is where Saint Patrick himself is buried, making it one of Christianity's most significant pilgrimage sites in Ireland.

The town sits comfortably in rolling drumlin countryside, with the Quoile River meandering through water meadows that flood spectacularly each winter. It's proper countryside here, the kind where you'll spot herons fishing in Shane's Lough and red squirrels darting through Corbally Wood. From the modest peaks of Wallace Hill and Carney Hill, the views stretch across County Down to the distant Mournes.

Killyleagh Castle dominates the nearby village skyline - it's been continuously inhabited for 800 years and looks like something from a fairy tale. The castle grounds run down to Strangford Lough, where East Down Yacht Club and Quoile Yacht Club make the most of some of Ireland's best sailing waters. Hans Sloane, founder of the British Museum, was born in Killyleagh, and there's a proper sense of history in these parts.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the A7 runs direct from Belfast, about 30 miles south. The train line was axed decades ago, like so many in Northern Ireland, but regular buses connect to the capital.

Using one of the nearby parks as your base makes perfect sense. Delamont Country Park offers direct access to Strangford Lough's shoreline, while several smaller sites like Castle Ward Caravan Park put you within striking distance of National Trust properties and the lough's spectacular wildlife. The forests around here - Crannog and Nut Wood included - are brilliant for walking, and you're never more than a short drive from either mountains or sea.