Grey Abbey

Located on the picturesque shores of Strangford Lough, the remains of Grey Abbey sit in the middle of picturesque parkland. The 12th century Cistercian monastery church and cloister are still visible, as well as the re-created herb garden used by the medieval monks to prepare medicinal remedies.

Affreca, whose father was King of the Isle of Man, founded the settlement in 1193. The elegant Gothic building was the result of a combination of the French Cistercian order, which came from Cumbria, and the Anglo Norman style. The church was burned during the Elizabethan wars and later restored – it was a house of worship until 1778. It features an extraordinary pointed doorway and a row of lancet windows on the east wall.