Newforge House

Last weekend, as a birthday treat pour moi,  hubby and I stayed at Newforge House.

Newforge House is a beautiful, family run country house about a 30 minute drive from Belfast in the village of Magheralin.  Originally his plan was to take me to the Merchant Hotel, a luxurious 5 star hotel in Belfast city centre. But I had my heart set on this place.  I had heard good reports about it. And in my quest to venture to places new,  I thought this might be more to my taste. It did not disappoint.

Our room

As we drove up the driveway to Newforge House, we were greeted by the sight of this beautiful, ivy clad building complete with sash windows and Georgian entrance.  I was instantly in my element ! 

After checking in, we were shown to our room. The house has 6 individually styled rooms. We were staying in the Pickering room. A tastefully decorated room, it was full of period charm and detail and with a spacious, well appointed bathroom. It also had generous supply of White Company toiletries, I was quick to notice.

The house

After a quick freshen up and change for dinner, we headed down to the lounge for a pre dinner drink. It also gave us the chance to explore the house a little bit more, taking in the architectural details, the antique furniture and the country charm.

The food

A strong emphasis is placed on serving local produce. Hubby enjoyed a McGraths Irish Ale  which is brewed just down the road in Craigavon. Then it was time to make our way to the dining room. As, by this stage, we were feeling rather hungry !

To start us off, we were treated to some freshly home made wheaten bread which went down very well with a drop of local hand churned Abernethy Butter from Dromara village, again just a few miles away. You can even find this butter at Fortnum and Masons.

 As a starter I opted for a refreshing nectarine, basil and mozzarella salad while hubby chose tomato and chilli soup. We both opted for steaks for our main course. These arrived perfectly cooked and served on a bed of green vegetables, grown in the garden next to the house. Having a sweet tooth, I treated myself to a melt in your mouth cheesecake for dessert while hubby chose the cheese board.

At this point the chef John came out to say hello and to give us the names of the cheeses, again all locally sourced from around Ireland (including Corleggy cheese , loved the name) All in all,  a delightful culinary experience in a relaxing setting, washed down with a very good bottle of wine.

The garden

Next morning, as if we hadn’t eaten enough already, we indulged in a traditional Ulster fry (including locally sourced Moyallon bacon and eggs from the free range chickens in the garden).

Then it was time for a walk around the grounds. I really enjoyed the flowers, the ornate gates, the vegetable plot and most of all, stopping to say hello to the chickens. After all, they had done such a good job in providing us with tasty eggs for breakfast. Very friendly they were too !

In summary

All in all, it was a wonderful birthday treat. I couldn’t have asked for more. Belfast is experiencing a bit of a hotel boom at the  moment, which is great to see. But for me it was lovely to get off the beaten track and discover this hidden gem in the country.  We will definitely return. For anyone travelling to Northern Ireland and looking to explore what our country has to offer, this is well worth a look. You’ll find great food, country charm, a central location and personal service. You can find out more on their website here 

Take care,

Paula x

Useful Links

Other travel related posts to enjoy:-

A stay at Ardtara Country House

Sheils Houses