The Carriage House, Dundrum

View from Dundrum Castle

Decades ago in California there used to be reasonable and interesting B&B's like the one we found in Dundrum, a tiny village on the Irish Sea in Northern Ireland.  But now these 'small hotels' have morphed into ultra-luxe, romantic getaways with a hefty price tag to match.  The idea of a true home-based visitor experience has become a commercial enterprise, and travelers are the poorer for it.

The Carriage House B&B

Fortunately, this kind of unique visitor experience with its taste of local culture and cuisine is still to be found throughout Europe and the UK.  And The Carriage House B&B, with its views of the tidal Dundrum Bay leading out to the wild Irish Sea or the flower-filled private garden out back, offers just the kind of pampering and personal service that brings closer the joy of exploring an area.

With prices under $90.00US per night,  (a bargain for a pair of travelers sharing) the room we had featured crisp ironed cutwork duvet and linens, simple and elegant, with comfortable beds.  Owner, Maureen, has converted four of the bedrooms in her house for guests.  With a private en suite and plenty of fluffy towels, our bedroom was furnished with just enough useful antiques (desk, chair, mirror) to not overcrowd, and the cushioned window seat looked out over the water beyond.  This active tidal bay was fascinating as it emptied down to the sandy bottom during the morning hours, allowing farmers to dredge for the scallops and clams we enjoyed at the local restaurants for dinner.  As the day progressed, the water level rose enough to float boats, and this swift process made for great viewing, but tricky for swimming, which is prohibited.

Maureen prepared a full breakfast for us every morning, including homemade jams, and my favorite, rhubarb compote.  Rhubarb is popular here in Ireland, along with black currant and I enjoyed these flavors in everything from yogurt to throat lozenges.  The back garden of the B&B was filled with birds who feed off the fruit scraps our hostess provided, and although not at the time of our stay, she usually keeps a hen house out back as well, for fresh eggs.  The hearty wheaten and soda breads were all baked locally.

The Carriage House is located on the main street, but traffic is sporadic and quiets completely at night when the only passers by are on their way to the slightly bigger village, Newcastle, to the south.  During our first day there we hiked up a steep hill behind the B&B to Dundrum Castle, where  neighborhood boys were playing soccer.  We were the only other visitors, another advantage of off-season traveling.  Once a stronghold overlooking the bay, this castle was built in the 13th Century , destroyed, and rebuilt over the centuries as so many are in this area, subject to various invasions, (including an ancestor, King John, in 1210), religious skirmishes, and a civil war.  You can still see the battlements, and the grassy, enclosed keep where knights practiced their swordsmanship, and the view to the village below is as charmingly bucolic and a picturesque as one imagines Ireland to be.

Since Dundrum has only a couple of restaurants and the main one was closed the night we arrived, we drove down a few miles to Newcastle.  This larger seaside town at the base of the Mourne Mountains is a true holiday destination, with plenty of activities for families, old-fashioned candy shops, and several beaches, some with swimming pools adjacent.  There are also natural sulphur hot springs in the southern edge of town, some enclosed and some built onto the beach.

The weather this time of year is variable and although we had sunny periods, the windy days were also spectacular on the open sea.

Newcastle on a stormy day