(this article first appeared in the EDYC Spring 2003 Newsletter)
We are not the first people to take to the water in Strangford Lough. A
recent archaeological survey of the Lough has found evidence for our
ancestors living by the water's edge for at least the last 9,000
years.
The oldest vessel found on the tidal mudflats at Grey Abbey Bay was a 9
metre long logboat. It dated to 5,500 years ago during the Neolithic
period when farming first started in the region.
Fragments of early boats are not easily found and an exceptionally rare
object recovered from the tide mill at Nendrum was a rowing oar dating to
AD 619.
Many of Strangford's archaeological sites can be seen from the
water.
Nendrum monastery is a good example and makes an ideal destination for a
day out in your cruiser or dinghy.
The medieval motte and bailey and church site at Ardkeen, part of the
manorial settlement of the Savage family lies just beyond racing mark 17
and is a regular cruising destination for Wayfarer sailors.
Dunnyneill (Don O'Neill Island) is a strategically located island group
providing a lookout for anyone wishing to monitor who is coming in or
going out of the Lough.
Excavations undertaken by Queen's University in 2002 showed that it has
been used as a strategic vantage point since prehistoric times and was
especially important in the Early Christian period. During the years
between AD 400 and 1177 Strangford was part of the maritime kingdom of
Dál Fiatach and Dunnyneill may have been used as a strategic watch place
for fleet movements.
If you are planning a day cruise down towards the Narrows make sure and go on an ebbing tide and return on the flood. As you sail past Ballyhenry you will be close to the remains of the submerged vessels Empire Tana (also known as 'The Lees') and the Nimble (also known as 'The Pins').
A favourite destination for East Down sailors is Audley's Castle and from there access can be had to the magnificent 18th-century mansion and demesne of Castle Ward and to the historic town of Strangford.
These sites and many more were the subject of a recent book 'Strangford Lough: An Archaeological Survey of the Maritime Cultural Landscape' published by Environment and Heritage Service in collaboration with Blackstaff Press. (See below for details.)
Strangford Lough only one of three statutory Marine Nature Reserves in the UK and has been officially designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. However for thousands of years its appeal was much more practical. The Lough is a large natural harbour and provided refuge for sailors seeking shelter from storms in the Irish Sea. The fertility of its land and the richness of its wildlife proved a strong attraction for human settlement.
The high quality of archaeology around the Lough has been recognized for many years. Conscious that the shore and seabed of the Lough were hiding many more secrets, the Environment and Heritage Service undertook a survey of the maritime cultural landscape. The results of the survey challenge the preconceptions about the knowledge and skills of our ancestors e.g. excavations at Nendrum revealed a seventh-century tidal corn-mill that demonstrated a previously unknown level of engineering sophistication.
This illustrated book seeks to present the survey results in a readily
accessible form, not only adding to our appreciation of Strangford Lough's
past but also broadening the way that we look at Ireland's history as a
maritime region.