Bangor (Northern Ireland)

This was founded by St Comgall in 558 AD, and became a great centre of scholarship until destroyed by the Vikings. Prayers and hymns were chanted non-stop. (One of its priors, St Mirin, founded the abbey in Paisley and gives his name to that town's football club.) The remarkable Antiphony of Bangor was written here in the 7th century, a collection of prayers, hymns and sacred readings: it was sent to Bobbio Abbey in the hills above Piacenza, and is now in the Ambrosian Museum in Milan. St Malachy rebuilt the abbey from 1121 but it was never so important as before. It passed to the Franciscans then the Dominicans until the dissolution. Only one wall has survived, incorporated into the later church, which is mostly from 17th century and is Church of Ireland (Anglican).

The "castle" is a mansion built in 1852 in the grounds of the former abbey, which in the 1940s became the Town Hall. The museum displays local history and culture. To the south is attractive parkland and a walled garden.

This battery was built 1904-07 to defend Belfast Lough; the guns were never fired in anger. The fort was disarmed in 1954 but in the 1990s similar guns were obtained from County Cork and re-mounted. There's now a small volunteer-run museum.

Amusement park for younger children, no white-knuckle rides. Genteel attractions are the miniature railway, adventure playgrounds, paddling pool and swan-shaped pedalos.