Kerri-Lee
Bed & Breakfast
Hillsborough Locality
The Crooked Glen
A small and delightful village, Hillsborough lies south of Lisburn and 15 miles from Belfast on the main Belfast to Dublin road It is an almost unspoilt 18th and 19 century village. The first settlement in the area was called Cromlyn which, in Irish, means "the crooked glen".
The village received its Charter of Incorporation in 1661, but was in fact laid out in the first half of the 18th century.
Hillsborough has a large number of Georgian buildings.
Battle of the Boyne
The village takes its name from Sir Arthur Hill who built Hillsborough Fort in about 1650.
The fort with its high earth ramparts and stone revetments looks over the village. Charles II made this a royal fortress and Sir Arthur was made constable with a force of 20 warders. The fort commands the strategic pass of Kilwarlin and was used by William Prince of Orange later King William III on his way to defeat James II at The Battle of The Boyne.
The fort was given to the state by The Hill family (now The Downshires) in 1959.
Saint Malachy
St. Malachy built a church here in the 12th century. Malachy was arguably the most famous Archbishop of Armagh & Bishop of Down and subsequently all churches in this vicinity have been dedicated to him. In the 17th century all the land in this part of Co. Down was acquired by the Hill family from Devon and the place gradually became known as Hillsborough. Colonel Arthur Hill built the first church on the present site in 1636 and provided it with a bell which was hung from the branch of a tree. His descendant, Wills Hill, Earl of Hillsborough & 1st Marquis of Downshire, built the present church on the old foundations between 1760 and 1773. He also had time to invent the screw top for lemonade bottles!
Bishop's Throne
Wills Hill built the church with the intention that it should become the new cathedral for the Diocese of Down although this did not happen, the church still contains a bishop's throne. Superbly sited on a hillside off the main street and near the fort the church is approached along an impressive avenue of mature lime trees interspersed with rhododendrons. Externally the most notable feature of the church is the three storey tower capped by pinnacles at the corners with a spire at the centre. Internally the church is largely unspoilt and is notable for the quality of its woodwork. There are two organs, a small instrument of 1795 by George Pike and a more massive organ of 1773 by John Snetzler.
The 1st Marquis of Downshire presented the new church with a ring of eight bells which were cast by Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester in 1772. They were shipped from Bristol to Ireland for a carriage charge of £16. Two of the bells were recast by John Warner in 1886 and two new trebles were added by Taylor of Loughborough in 1970. These were named 'John' and 'Jonathan' after the rector of the time, Canon John Barry, and his eldest son, both of whom were ringers.
The Sextons House and parish room are at the entrance gates to the church ground There is a low pavilion at each end capped by small spires. These were originally separate School houses for boys and girls.
Hillsborough Castle
The Queen's official residence in Northern Ireland -- Hillsborough Castle -- lies in the village so the bells are frequently rung to mark royal events as well as for Divine worship, weddings, etc.
The castle today stands in a large and beautiful park and has served as the seat of the Governors of Northern Ireland from 1924 to 1973. It is a not overly impressive two-storey house, completed in 1797 to the designs of Brentingham. It incorporates fragments of a smaller house built in 1760. In the 1830’s and 1840’s the house was much enlarged and remodelled and the grounds were extended to their present size by the re-routing of the road to Moira which previously passed close to the southern front of the house. The Castle has more the appearance of an unassuming late-eighteenth century mansion house. Being at the centre of Hillsborough it is more akin to an English manor house than to most Irish houses in their demesnes, usually some distance outside town or village. A little confusing in its layout, the house started as a rectangular block on the west side of the entrance courtyard, and what now appears to be the principal part, the long south front, was only a later addition - the original house was added to piecemeal over a period of about 80 years.
Hillsborough Castle is the Queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland and as such is the scene of many grand state occasions and garden parties. It is also host to some of the more momentous political happenings in recent Northern Ireland history and has been visited in recent years by US presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and the Prime Ministers of both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The Market House
In the village centre at the top of the hill stands the Market House. The Market House forms the large centrepiece of the town square in front of Hillsborough Castle. It was first built around 1760 as a two-storey structure with an archway running through the centre from east to west. In 1810 the present north and south side wings were added, one to provide a courtroom and the other a market hall, and at the same time a new granite plinth, various decorations as well as a new clock and bell, were provided. The Village Tourist Information Centre is located here and there is also an interesting exhibition of the Irish justice system administered here through the centuries and with descriptions of how the modern British and American justice systems evolved to their present status. There is also an occasional Country Market held on Saturdays.
The Birthplace of America?
An interesting historical footnote is that Hillsborough is sometimes referred to as "the birthplace of America". In October 1771 Benjamin Franklin, on a diplomatic mission to Britain as Colonial Envoy, spent five days as the guest of Wills Hill, The 1st Marquis of Downshire and, Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The whole course of Western history might have been different if Benjamin Franklin and Wills Hill had established rapport. American historians suggest that the animosity between them generated at Hillsborough played a large part in the initiation of the American War of Independence. Ever after George III personally blamed Wills Hill for the loss of his American Colonies.
As part of his visit to the province, President Bill Clinton was presented with a commemorative scroll from the Council to mark this meeting between Benjamin Franklin and The 1st Marquis of Downshire.
Hillsborough has been the birthplace and home to many famous people.
"Fergies"
Harry Ferguson built his own aeroplane in 1909 and was the first man to fly in Ireland. He is best known today for his contribution to agriculture and to four wheel drive technology now common in road vehicles. His tractor known as the Ferguson Brown tractor gained world-wide prominence when its manufacture was taken over by Ford in 1938. These little grey painted tractors which revolutionised the mechanisation of agriculture are affectionately known as "Fergies" all over the world. Harry Ferguson’s home may be seen outside the village on the Magherconluce Road some 3.5 miles from the village centre.
Sir Hamilton Hardy, famous composer and conductor also lived in the village. There is a plaque on the wall of his house on Ballynahinch Street.