Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Ballymena (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Slemish, Ballymena Town Hall, and Gracehill Moravian Church. Also, be sure to include the Braid arts centre in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Ballymena (Northern Ireland).
Table of Contents
Slemish
Hill in Northern Ireland. Slemish, historically called Slieve Mish, is a hill in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies a few miles east of Ballymena, in the townland of Carnstroan. Tradition holds that Saint Patrick, enslaved as a youth, was brought to this area and tended sheep herds on Slemish, and that during this time he found God.
Slemish is the remains of the plug of an extinct volcano. The plug is made of olivine dolerite and was formed during the Palaeogene period of the Earth's geological history. Its distinctive appearance —its upper reaches are very steep and rugged, in contrast to the tidy fields on its lower westward-facing slopes and the relatively flat bogland to the east— causes it to dominate the landscape for miles around.
Slemish is within an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and, therefore, helps to protect and manage the fragile animal and plant communities that inhabit its slopes. An ideal location for bird watchers, large black ravens, buzzards, wheatears and meadow pipits can be seen regularly.[1]
Ballymena Town Hall
Heritage building in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Ballymena Town Hall is a municipal structure in Bridge Street in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, is a Grade B1 listed building.[2]
Address: 5 Pat's Brae, Ballymena
Gracehill Moravian Church
Church
Address: 25 Church Road, BT42 2NL Ballymena
The Braid arts centre
Concerts and shows, Museum
Address: 1-29 Bridge Street, BT43 5EJ Ballymena