Town or village· Postcode BT14
Ballysillan
Belfast, Northern Ireland
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90 places within 15 miles
Days out & attractions in Ballysillan
Days out around Ballysillan – lakes, viewpoints, nature reserves, theme parks and more. Each comes with a description, photo, address and map where available.
Days out
🏞️ Lakes & lochs
Days out
🌄 Viewpoints
Days out
🌿 Nature reserves
Belvoir Park Forest
Stranmillis · 1.9 miles
Along the River Lagan, a 75-hectare urban woodland provides a rare example of a working forest within a city. Managed by the Forest Service and listed as a nature reserve, the site lies close to Stranmillis in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Its status as a working forest makes it unique across the United Kingdom, and it is recognised for the presence of red squirrels among its resident wildlife. The area opened to the public in 1961 after being incorporated into the former estate of the Hills family, who enclosed the land in the 1740s. Remnants of that period survive as farm buildings and an ice house built into a 12th-century Norman motte. The original house has been removed, its footprint now occupied by a car park. Within the grounds the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds maintains its Northern Ireland headquarters, and an arboretum holds some of Belfast’s oldest and most unusual trees, including around one hundred veteran oaks that can be up to 350 years old. Wildlife surveys record a range of species such as large bracket fungi, toothwort, giant hog-weed, long-eared owls, kingfishers, long-tailed tits, badgers and red foxes. Cycling is prohibited within the forest, but the car park offers a point of access for visitors wishing to explore the trails on foot.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🎢 Theme parks
Days out
🏛️ Museums
Ulster Museum
Belfast · 0.1 miles
Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History Museum
Lower Falls · 1.2 miles
Crumlin Road Gaol
Edenderry · 1.9 miles
Days out
🌳 Parks & gardens
Musgrave Park
Derriaghy · 1.9 miles
The park lies on the south-west side of Belfast, within the Ballygammon townland and accessed from Stockman’s Lane. The surrounding landscape is a blend of trading estates, residential streets and the nearby M1 motorway, while the adjoining Musgrave Park Hospital provides rehabilitation services for all ages. Although the nearest town listed in mapping data is Derriaghy, the site is firmly part of the city’s public green space network. Visitors can use a bowling pavilion that houses two greens and a club affiliated with the Northern Ireland Bowling Association, as well as indoor facilities for off-season play. Sports provisions include pitches for Gaelic football, hurling and camogie managed with St Brigid’s GAA, and six tarmac tennis courts – two of which were usable in 2012, with plans for full refurbishment. Walks wind through nature areas, and bottle banks are positioned around the grounds. Since 2010 a therapy garden has been developed, featuring a willow tunnel, wheelchair-friendly planting beds and a multi-sensory “whispering wall” funded by the EU Regional Development Fund. Allotments were reinstated in 2012 opposite the bowling pavilion, responding to local demand. The smaller Grovelands park runs alongside the southern edge, linked by a main pathway and marked by an 1860s stone pillar originally designed by William Barre. The site originated from a 1921 donation of land by industrialist Henry Musgrave, with 250 gardeners preparing the grounds as a job-creation scheme before the park opened to the public in 1924, officiated by Lady Edith Dixon. Early developments added a bowling green and a now-lost putting green in 1926, while wartime efforts saw the creation of allotments and the removal of iron railings, later replaced. Ongoing improvements such as the therapy garden and upgraded sports facilities reflect the park’s continued role in community recreation.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Botanic Gardens
Ballysillan Upper · 0.1 miles
Jan 04-31 07:30-16:30; Feb 01-07,Oct 31-Nov 13 07:30-17:00; Feb 08-21,Oct 24-30 07:30-17:30; Feb 22-Mar 06 07:30-18:00; Mar 07-20,Oct 17-23 07:30-18:30; Mar 21-27,Oct 03-16 07:30-19:00; Apr 04-17,Aug 29-Sep 04 07:30-20:30; Mar 28-Apr 03,Sep 05-18 07:30-20
Days out
🗿 Monuments & memorials
Cenotaph
Linen Quarter · 0.6 miles
A prominent feature of Donegall Square West, opposite Belfast City Hall, the cenotaph stands as a war memorial designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas. The central Portland-stone column reaches roughly 30 feet and is flanked by bronze brackets that support flagpoles; carved laurel wreaths top the monument, while inscriptions on the north and south faces commemorate the sacrifice of Ulster’s sons in the Great War and later conflicts. Three steps lead up to the structure, and to the south an arc of paired Corinthian columns forms a 25-foot-high colonnade. North of the monument a sunken garden of remembrance, replanted in 1993, provides a quiet space that has hosted an annual Field of Remembrance since 2011. Construction finished in 1927 and the memorial was formally unveiled by Viscount Allenby on 11 November 1929, an event attended by veterans of the 16th (Irish) Division. The site is listed at Grade A as of 1984 and continues to host Remembrance Sunday services, as well as ceremonies marking the first day of the Battle of the Somme each 1 July. Nearby memorials honour Irish regiments of the Boer and Korean Wars and United States forces who arrived in 1942. The monument is situated in a public area of the Linen Quarter, freely accessible without admission charge and surrounded by other historic commemorations.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Queen Victoria Monument
Linen Quarter · 1.2 miles
A public monument in the Linen Quarter commemorates the longest-reigning British sovereign of the nineteenth century, Queen Victoria, whose rule from 1837 to 1901 defined an era of industrial, political and scientific change across the United Kingdom. The structure serves as a tangible reminder of a monarch who, after succeeding to the throne at eighteen, oversaw the expansion of the British Empire and, in 1876, was granted the additional title of Empress of India by Parliament. Her personal narrative—marked by early loss of both parents, a childhood governed by the restrictive Kensington System, and a marriage to Prince Albert that produced nine children—underpins the historical significance of the monument. Positioned within the historic fabric of the Linen Quarter, the monument is listed as a historic feature on OpenStreetMap, indicating its recognised status in the local heritage. While specific opening hours or entry charges are not detailed, the site is publicly accessible and forms part of the streetscape, allowing visitors to view the tribute without the need for a ticket. No additional visitor facilities such as a car park or café are mentioned in the available data. The monument therefore offers a straightforward point of interest for those wishing to reflect on Queen Victoria’s impact while exploring the surrounding area.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🏺 Archaeological sites
Days out
🖼️ Galleries
University of Atypical
Smithfield · 1.2 miles
Royal Avenue 109-113, Belfast BT1 1FF
Tu-Fr 10:00-17:30
Days out
📸 Landmarks & sights
Belfast City Hall
Linen Quarter · 0.6 miles
The civic landmark that dominates Donegall Square in Belfast’s city centre is a Grade A listed building operated by Belfast City Council. Set on the former site of the White Linen Hall, the structure was commissioned after Belfast received city status in 1888 and opened on 1 August 1906. Designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in a Baroque-Revival style, it is built of Portland stone and features four corner towers surrounding a central copper dome that rises 173 ft. The stone pediment bears a sculpture by F. W. Pomeroy, a design element that also appears on several Northern Bank banknote series. Inside, visitors encounter a Porte-Cochère, a Grand Entrance, a sweeping staircase and a Great Hall whose roof, rebuilt after wartime damage in May 1941, is supported by Carrara, Pavonazzo and Brescia marbles. Stained-glass windows display the Belfast coat of arms, portraits of Queen Victoria and William III, and a tribute to the 36th (Ulster) Division. A permanent exhibition, established in 2017, and guided tours allow public access to areas normally closed to the public. The surrounding grounds contain a range of memorials, including those to Sir Edward Harland, Queen Victoria, the Titanic, and the Garden of Remembrance, together with recent bronze statues of Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney unveiled in March 2024. Wheelchair users benefit from step-free access throughout the building and its immediate precinct. Admission is free, with facilities managed by the city council.
Donegall Square, Belfast BT1 5GS
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Albert Memorial Clock
Cathedral Quarter · 1.2 miles
A striking clock tower dominates Queen’s Square in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, its 113-foot silhouette visible from the surrounding streets. Designed by W. J. Barre after a public competition, the structure combines French and Italian Gothic motifs and rests on wooden piles beneath reclaimed ground near the River Farset. The tower’s base is adorned with flying buttresses and heraldic lions, while a statue of Prince Albert, dressed in the robes of a Knight of the Garter, occupies the western face. A two-tonne bell hangs within, and the clock mechanism was supplied by a local maker on High Street. Construction proceeded between 1865 and 1869, financed through public subscription after the contract was finally awarded to Barre following an initial controversy. Because of the marshy foundations, the tower leans about four feet from the vertical, a condition that prompted the removal of some ornamental belfry work and a stone canopy in 1924. The clock suffered damage in a 1992 bomb explosion nearby, and a comprehensive restoration completed in 2002 reinforced the foundations, replaced decayed carvings and cleaned the exterior. The surrounding square and the adjacent Custom’s House Square have been reshaped into contemporary public spaces featuring trees, fountains and sculptures. The Albert Memorial Clock has featured in film and television, notably as a backdrop in the 1947 movie *Odd Man Out* and a 1965 episode of *Danger Man*. Its prominent position and distinctive lean make it a recognisable element of Belfast’s urban landscape.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
SS Nomadic
Titanic Quarter · 1.9 miles
A former White Star Line tender, built to ferry passengers, mail and supplies between the shore and the great ocean liners RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, now resides as a heritage exhibit in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. The vessel is the sole surviving ship designed by Thomas Andrews, the architect of the two famous liners, and represents the last remaining White Star Line craft. Launched from Harland and Wolff’s slipway on 25 April 1911, the steel-hull ship measures 220 feet in length and 37 feet across, with a gross registered tonnage of 1 273. Propulsion came from two coal-fired boilers driving twin compound steam engines that turned a pair of 7-foot propellers, allowing a service speed of 12 knots. Internally she offered first- and second-class lounges, cushioned benches, porcelain water fountains and a buffet bar, mirroring the comfort of the liners she served. After an early career tendering from Cherbourg, she served as a French auxiliary minesweeper in World War I, returned to civilian duties, and later operated under the name Ingenieur Minard during World II before finally retiring in 1968. Subsequent attempts to scrap her were thwarted by preservation campaigns, leading to her rescue and eventual relocation to Belfast where she now stands as a museum ship. The ship is listed as a landmark on OpenStreetMap, with the Titanic Quarter identified as the nearest town. Visitors to the area can view the vessel as part of the Titanic Quarter attractions, where it remains on permanent display. No admission fees, opening times or on-site facilities are detailed in the source material.
Queens Road, Belfast BT3 9DT
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Titanic Belfast
Titanic Quarter · 1.9 miles
Set on Queen's Island at the entrance to Belfast Lough, the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction occupies the former Harland & Wolff shipyard within the city's Titanic Quarter. The site, reclaimed in the mid-19th century, was where the RMS Titanic and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic were constructed. Opened in 2012, the eight-storey building mirrors the prow of a ship and is clad in thousands of silver aluminium shards, reaching the same height as Titanic’s hull. Its location links it to other heritage features such as the listed slipways, graving docks and the iconic Samson and Goliath cranes. The interior provides around 12,000 square metres of floor space, most of which is occupied by a sequence of interpretive galleries that trace the design, launch and legacy of the Titanic. In addition to the exhibition areas, the complex includes private function rooms, community facilities and Belfast’s largest conference venue, the Titanic Suite, which can accommodate up to 750 guests and contains a replica of the ship’s original staircase. Access is step-free, making the attraction wheelchair friendly. Visitors can move between the galleries and the conference facilities without encountering stairs, and the site is served by the surrounding Titanic Quarter infrastructure.
Queens Road 1 Olympic Way, Belfast BT3 9DP
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
The Flatiron Belfast
Markets · 1.2 miles
Upper Church Lane 70, Belfast BT1 4QL
Days out
🛝 Playgrounds
Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Distances are as the crow flies from Ballysillan.
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