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Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House, Antrim

Companionship careAntrim

Days out in Antrim for an older parent

Six places in Antrim that make a good day out for an older parent, from Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House to Randalstown Forest. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House. Photo: Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0

Six days out across two towns

The best places to take an older parent in Antrim

Five of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for one confirms an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House, Antrim

Photo: Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Antrim

Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House

Antrim Castle Gardens are 17th century formal gardens beside the Six Mile Water, with long ornamental canals, a Norman motte, a walled garden and woodland paths. Clotworthy House, the old coach house, holds a visitor centre, a gallery and a coffee shop.

Clotworthy House has level access, lifts, accessible toilets and disabled parking bays, and the free car parks sit close to the house, so a short walk along the canals can start and finish near a sit-down.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free entry and free parking

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Antrim

Antrim Lough Shore Park and The Gateway, Antrim

Photo: Sourabh.biswas003, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Antrim

Antrim Lough Shore Park and The Gateway

Antrim Lough Shore Park sits on the shore of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the UK and Ireland, with paths along the water, swans to feed and a tall steel statue of Finn McCool. The Gateway visitor centre has a small exhibition about the lough, a restaurant and a café.

Parking, toilets and the café are all in one place at The Gateway, and the walk along the lough shore can be kept as short as you like before turning back.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free admission

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Antrim

Antrim Round Tower

Day out · Antrim

Antrim Round Tower

Antrim Round Tower was built around the 10th century as part of a monastic settlement and, at 28 metres tall, is one of the finest round towers in Ireland. Beside it is the Witch's Stone, a boulder tied to a local legend.

It is free and open all year, and a short visit to the tower in its small park is easy to combine with a trip to Antrim Castle Gardens nearby.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free, open all year

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Antrim

The Old Courthouse, Antrim, Antrim

Photo: Sourabh.biswas003, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Antrim

The Old Courthouse, Antrim

The Old Courthouse is a two-storey classical building in the middle of Antrim, finished in 1726, where the court sat upstairs above an arched market hall. It was restored by the council in 2010 as an arts venue with an auditorium and a coffee shop.

It sits on the town square, so it makes a short stop for a coffee and a look at the building during a trip into Antrim town.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Check prices

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Antrim

Six Mile Water and Mill Race Trail, Antrim

Photo: Richard Robert Ashby, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Antrim

Six Mile Water and Mill Race Trail

The Six Mile Water trail is a riverside walk along the Sixmilewater from Antrim Lough Shore Park through the town. The full route is 10 km, but it can be joined or left at several points, including the town centre.

The walk can be kept as short as you like by starting at Lough Shore Park or Kirby's Lane car park and turning back when your parent is ready.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Antrim

Randalstown Forest, Randalstown

Photo: Robert Ashby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Randalstown

Randalstown Forest

Randalstown Forest is a 430 acre mixed forest near the shore of Lough Neagh with walking routes, an owl conservation centre and a deer park. From the deer enclosure visitors can watch up to 25 fallow deer.

Watching the deer from the enclosure needs only a short walk, so the carer can plan a gentle visit without taking on the longer forest trails.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Randalstown

Regular groups and events in Antrim

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Antrim.

  • Music · CushendallMonthly Comhaltas session in CushendallThe Glens of Antrim Comhaltas Friday session rotates around pubs in the glens, meeting at Johnny Joe's on the third Friday of the month. A carer can check which pub is hosting before setting out and get there early enough for a comfortable seat.Details
  • Fishing · RandalstownLough Neagh catchment angling clubsClubs including Randalstown, Crumlin and District, Antrim and District, and Kells, Connor and Glenwherry angling clubs take part in the annual river clean-up across the Lough Neagh catchment. Rejoining a club gives an older angler company on the bank, and a carer can drive to the meeting point and stay for the day.Details
  • Photography · AntrimAntrim Camera ClubA local photography club running meetings, competitions and exhibitions for all levels of experience. A carer could drive to evening meetings and help with uploading or printing images for club competitions.Details
  • Reading · AntrimAdult reading groups in Antrim librariesLibraries NI runs free adult reading groups in branches across Northern Ireland, including County Antrim libraries, with a searchable list by branch. A carer can check which branch and time suits, arrange the large print or audio version of the book, and go along for the discussion.Details
  • Sports · AntrimWalking football at council leisure centresAntrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council runs walking football and walking netball sessions at its leisure centres. A carer can sort kit and transport and stay pitchside for the hour.Details
  • Sports · BelfastIndoor bowling in County AntrimCounty Antrim Indoor Bowling Club is one of three clubs affiliated to the Association of Irish Indoor Bowls, playing an established league and international programme. Indoor bowls is played seated or standing at a slow pace, and a carer can handle travel to matches and help with the woods.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Antrim

At a glance

The six places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy HouseAntrimhalf a dayFreePartlyYesAsk
Antrim Lough Shore Park and The GatewayAntriman hour or twoFreeAskAskYes
Antrim Round TowerAntriman hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
The Old Courthouse, AntrimAntriman hour or twoCheck pricesAskAskAsk
Six Mile Water and Mill Race TrailAntriman hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Randalstown ForestRandalstownan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Antrim

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

CrumlinRandalstown123456
  1. 1Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House, Antrim
  2. 2Antrim Lough Shore Park and The Gateway, Antrim
  3. 3Antrim Round Tower, Antrim
  4. 4The Old Courthouse, Antrim, Antrim
  5. 5Six Mile Water and Mill Race Trail, Antrim
  6. 6Randalstown Forest, Randalstown

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Antrim

Carers in Antrim charge £19 to £21 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Antrim has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Antrim

Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House in Antrim, Antrim Lough Shore Park and The Gateway in Antrim, Antrim Round Tower in Antrim, The Old Courthouse, Antrim in Antrim, Six Mile Water and Mill Race Trail in Antrim and Randalstown Forest in Randalstown. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House has an accessible toilet. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House, Antrim Lough Shore Park and The Gateway, Antrim Round Tower, Six Mile Water and Mill Race Trail and Randalstown Forest. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 9 of the carers with a rate near Antrim drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Antrim shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Antrim

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Antrim

Days out in the areas around Antrim

Companionship care by town in Antrim

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Antrim

See carers near Antrim who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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