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Portglenone Forest, Portglenone

Companionship careBallymena

Days out in Ballymena for an older parent

Four places in Ballymena that make a good day out for an older parent, from The People's Park to Broughshane village. 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

Portglenone Forest. Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0

Four days out across four towns

The best places to take an older parent in Ballymena

Four 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.

The People's Park

Park · Ballymena

The People's Park

The People's Park is a 45-acre Victorian park a short walk from Ballymena town centre, laid out around a large pond where ducks, swans and geese gather. There is a pavilion with toilets, open lawns, a bowling green and coffee and ice cream sellers.

The walking loop from the car park past the pavilion and round the pond is described as relatively flat and smooth with only gentle slopes, so it suits a slow circuit with stops.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Ballymena

Portglenone Forest, Portglenone

Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Portglenone

Portglenone Forest

Portglenone Forest is ancient woodland beside the River Bann, known for its bluebells and wild garlic in spring and its large old broadleaf trees. Waymarked trails lead down to the river, and there are picnic tables near the car park.

The Forest Service has provided toilets with wheelchair access, and the main paths are graded as relatively flat and smooth, so a short loop to the river and back is realistic.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Portglenone

Gracehill Moravian Settlement, Gracehill

Photo: Ardfern, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Gracehill

Gracehill Moravian Settlement

Gracehill is an 18th-century Moravian village just outside Ballymena, laid out around a green square with Georgian houses, a church and the God's Acre burial ground. The restored Old School of 1765 has a restaurant, a small museum room on the village's history and lacework, and guided tours can be booked.

The Old School building with its restaurant is described as fully accessible, so a carer can plan a short stroll around the square and then a sit-down indoors.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free to walk around, guided tours booked separately

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Gracehill

Broughshane village

Market town · Broughshane

Broughshane village

Broughshane is known as the Garden Village of Ulster, with tens of thousands of flowers planted each year along its main street. There is a riverside walk behind Main Street, a waterfowl and wildlife pond, and a community museum upstairs in Broughshane House.

The village is small enough to see from the car in a slow circuit, and the carer can pick a short stretch of the riverside path and a café stop without committing to a long walk.

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 Broughshane

Regular groups and events in Ballymena

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

  • Gardening · BallymenaBallymena Garden Club talksA long running local club whose autumn and winter programme is built around evening talks on plants and practical gardening, and which has been welcoming new members since meetings resumed. A carer can handle the lift there and back and sit in on the talk, which keeps the interest alive when heavy digging is no longer possible.Details
  • Cooking & Baking · BallymenaBallymena Saturday marketThe town's weekly market traces back to the 1600s, when a Saturday market was written into the sale of the land Ballymena stands on, and traders still gather each week. A carer could go along for the ingredients for a familiar recipe and turn the shopping into the morning out.Details
  • Dancing · BallymenaDance classes at Ballymena FestivalEvery February and March the festival fills the Braid Arts Centre with music, speech, drama and dance classes for performers at all stages. A carer could take an older person along as a spectator for an afternoon session, which is easier going than a full evening concert.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Ballymena

At a glance

The four 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
The People's ParkBallymenaan hour or twoFreePartlyAskAsk
Portglenone ForestPortglenonean hour or twoFreeAskYesAsk
Gracehill Moravian SettlementGracehillan hour or twoFreeAskAskYes
Broughshane villageBroughshanean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Ballymena

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

1234
  1. 1The People's Park, Ballymena
  2. 2Portglenone Forest, Portglenone
  3. 3Gracehill Moravian Settlement, Gracehill
  4. 4Broughshane village, Broughshane

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Ballymena

Carers in Ballymena 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 Ballymena has the full figures.

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

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Ballymena

The People's Park in Ballymena, Portglenone Forest in Portglenone, Gracehill Moravian Settlement in Gracehill and Broughshane village in Broughshane. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

Portglenone Forest has an accessible toilet. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

The People's Park, Portglenone Forest, Gracehill Moravian Settlement and Broughshane village. 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. 8 of the carers with a rate near Ballymena drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Ballymena 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 Ballymena

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

Companionship care in the counties around Ballymena

Days out in the areas around Ballymena

Find a carer who could take them out in Ballymena

See carers near Ballymena 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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