Lagan Boat Trip
Here are the details for the Boat Trip...
Points of interest on the River Lagan Tour:
- Donegall Quay where ferry boats used to moor up until the 1980s
- Custom House.. designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, Belfast's foremost architect of the mid 1800's, he designed many famous Belfast architectural landmarks such as the Crumlin Road Courthouse, Queen's University, 13 churches and seven river bridges under which we shall travel today.
- The Lagan Weir: (1994) The most important structure on the river. The weir impounds the water at a constant base level allowing navigation 24 hours a day and offering protection from flood tides. It has also transformed the river from a muddy channel into an attractive site for commercial and residential development.
- Queen Elizabeth 2nd Bridge (1964) built by Harland & Wolff builders of the Titanic
- Queens Quay between the bridges was where the linen ships berthed.
- Queen's Bridge, named after Queen Victoria, (1842) designed by Sir Charles Lanyon is the oldest bridge on the river.
- Bargee School on the Sand Quays was where children of barge operators were taught in the 1800s
- Lanyon Place… new developments since the 1980's include Gregg's Quay, the Waterfront Hall (winner of many architectural awards), The 5 star Hilton Hotel and Riverside Tower (British Telecom's communications centre).
- The Lagan Viaduct is a railway bridge which conveys trains to and from Bangor & Larne
- Mays Meadow, the site of the old Belfast open market
- Sirocco Works where the ventilation systems for luxury liners (Titanic etc) built at Harland & Wolff. Site now cleared for future major development.
- Albert Bridge named after Prince Albert (consort of Queen Victoria ) and opened by his son in 1890
- Potters Quay named after the old potteries that used to exist there. Now renovated as architects offices etc but keeping the flavour and historical context of the 1800s.
- Tenants Textiles.. the last remaining working factory on the river Lagan making dyes for the textile industry. Dutch style Bascule bridge at the entrance to St George's Harbour , site of the old cattle market.
- Central station, railway station recently refurbished, main rail connection to Dublin.
- Small wildlife reserve for wading birds
- Old Gasworks site. Now cleared, and new business park under construction, includes Halifax Call Centre opened by HM Queen Elizabeth 2 nd in 2003.
- Hauliers Way where the Blackstaff River used to exit into the Lagan. Coal barges delivered coal from the harbour to the Klondike building where it was converted into gas which sustained the whole city.
- Cromac Lock… 1st of 26 locks which formed the navigation system between here and Lough Neagh some 30 miles upriver (a rise of 100 feet). Up to 100,000 tons of cargo was carried daily along this system in flat bottomed barges.
- McConnell's Wier which controlled the flow of water much as the new Lagan Weir does today.
- Ormeau Park, once the ancestral home of the Earls of Donegal, now a municipally owned public park ( Belfast's oldest and largest park)
- Stone steps on Ormeau embankment.. site of an old ferry which conveyed passengers across the river in a simple rowing boat. Operated by a man called Jim Boyce up until 50-60 years ago.
- The Lower Ormeau community, a predominantly Nationalist community. House prices have risen by over 500% in the last 10 years since the construction of the Lagan Weir and the cleaning up of the river by means of an ‘aeration' system.
- The blue signs indicate the presence of the underwater aeration pipes which pump 26, 000,000 bubbles of oxygenated air into river every 4 hours and help to keep it free of pollution..... theis system is now being relaid.
- Ormeau Bridge ..(1863) second oldest on the river, designed by Sir Charles Lanyon and built of sandstone from the Scrabo quarries. Lit up at night by blue and green argon lights at night, as are all the bridges.
- Stranmillis Embankment. The red brick houses here are known locally as ‘The Holy Land' because the streets are all named after ancient middle eastern cities and countries ( Damascus , Jerusalem , Palestine , Cairo etc). The names derived from postcards sent home by the developer who travelled extensively in the Holy Land .
- 'Southview Cottages' 200 years old, the oldest cottages on the river… Belfast to Downpatrick toll cottage.
- Queen's University Playing Fields and the rear of Botanic Park . The Jaffa Memorial built in honour of a wealthy Jewish family who built and paid for the first inter-denominational school and whose son went on to become Lord Mayor.
- Kings Bridge . (1910) The first reinforced concrete bridge built in Ireland
- Annadale Embankment, once the estate of Lady Anne Mornington, mother of the Duke of Wellington (The Iron Duke) whose many historical military victories included the Battle of Waterloo where he defeated Napoleon. A corruption of Lady Mornington's name (Anne) led to the present name of ‘Annadale' (Anne's Dale).
- Governor Bridge . The last bridge on our journey today. Built in the early 1970s.
- Queens University Rowing Club (Hay's Island )
- Cutters Wharf . A popular bar/restaurant on the River.
- More rowing clubs, tennis clubs on the right before sailing round the bend into Stranmillis Pool (part of the Lagan Valley Parks which stretches all the way to Lisburn. The towpath runs along the river banks all the way. There is a great variety of wildlife in this particular stretch of the river.. Kingfishers, Grey Herons, Moorhens, Dabchicks, Mallard ducks. The river has been regenerated by the introduction of the aeration system and now supports salmon, trout, mullet and other varieties of fish which are preyed upon by seals coming up from Belfast Lough. The river is tidal to this point, above which is fresh water.
- Stranmillis Weir includes a salmon ladder allowing the salmon to reach their spawning grounds upstream.