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Solitude Park, Banbridge

Companionship careBanbridge

Days out in Banbridge for an older parent

Eight places in Banbridge that make a good day out for an older parent, from Game of Thrones Studio Tour to Loughbrickland Park. 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

Solitude Park. Photo: Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0

Eight days out across four towns

The best places to take an older parent in Banbridge

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

Game of Thrones Studio Tour

Day out · Banbridge

Game of Thrones Studio Tour

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour at the Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge shows original sets, costumes, props and weapons from the television series, with film and behind-the-scenes displays along the route. There is a restaurant on site, and the tour works at your own pace.

The tour is on a single level and fully step-free, with free parking on site, accessible toilets along the route, free wheelchair loans that can be booked ahead and a free carer ticket with each paid ticket for a disabled guest.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry, one free carer ticket per disabled guest

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Banbridge

Solitude Park, Banbridge

Photo: Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Banbridge

Solitude Park

Solitude Park runs along the banks of the River Bann in Banbridge, with ornamental gardens that recall the town's railway and linen mill history, public artworks and an outdoor amphitheatre. It is a short walk from the town centre.

There are public toilets at the park entrance, a little free parking inside the park and several cafés within five minutes' walk, so a short stroll is easy to plan.

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 Banbridge

The Boulevard, Banbridge

Photo: Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Banbridge

The Boulevard

The Boulevard is an outlet shopping centre on the edge of Banbridge with more than 50 shops, restaurants and cafés laid out along a pedestrian street. It has over 1,300 free parking spaces.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be borrowed free of charge from Guest Services for up to an hour, which lets your parent go round the shops without tiring.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free to visit, free parking

What their access information confirms

  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Banbridge

Scarva Park, Scarva

Photo: Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Scarva

Scarva Park

Scarva Park is a small Green Flag village park with a pond full of waterfowl, patches of woodland and open grassland, with wooden animal sculptures and information panels along the paths. The Newry Canal towpath runs close to the village.

Toilets are next to the car park at the entrance, so a carer can park, use the facilities and take a short loop round the pond, with coffee shops in the village a few minutes away.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free, with limited free parking

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 Scarva

Newry Canal Towpath, Scarva

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

Nature reserve · Scarva

Newry Canal Towpath

The towpath of the old Newry to Portadown canal is a Green Flag walking and cycling route that forms part of the Ulster Way and National Cycle Route 9. The stretch near Scarva follows the quiet, reed-lined canal through open farmland.

The towpath is flat, so a carer can walk out a short way from Scarva and turn back whenever your parent has had enough, keeping to the side for passing cyclists.

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 Scarva

Dromore Cathedral, Dromore

Photo: Dromore Cathedral / Steven Law, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral · Dromore

Dromore Cathedral

Dromore Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Christ the Redeemer, is a 17th-century church on a site where St Colman founded a church in the sixth century, and it holds the carved stone known as St Colman's Pillow. It stands in the centre of Dromore on the north bank of the River Lagan.

It is an active parish church, so a carer should ring ahead to check when it is open to visitors, and it pairs well with a gentle walk in nearby Dromore Park.

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 Dromore

Dromore Park, Dromore

Photo: Dean Molyneaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Dromore

Dromore Park

Dromore Park lies on the edge of the town beside the River Lagan, with riverside walks and natural woodland where you can spot native birds and wildlife. It is close to both the town centre and the A1.

There is on-street parking on Church Street and nearby roads, and the nearest toilets are in the town library, so a carer can plan a short riverside walk with a stop in town.

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 Dromore

Loughbrickland Park

Park · Loughbrickland

Loughbrickland Park

Loughbrickland Park is a seven-acre village park with a wooded walk, picnic areas and millennium artworks, including a human sundial. A stream that once powered the village's corn mills runs through it.

There are public toilets in the park and cafés and pubs in the village, and the park is small enough for a gentle stroll without going far from the road.

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 Loughbrickland

Regular groups and events in Banbridge

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

  • Gardening · BanbridgeBanbridge and District Horticultural SocietyA society running since 1962, with around 40 members and regular evening meetings featuring guest speakers on growing. A carer can provide the lift and company for a meeting, which suits someone who can no longer manage a full garden but still wants the talk and the plants.Details
  • Gardening · BanbridgeThe society's annual vegetable and flower showThe society's yearly show of vegetables, fruit and flowers, held in a church hall in Banbridge and well attended by local growers. A carer can help pot up and carry an entry, or simply take someone along to see the benches and meet old gardening friends.Details
  • Sports · BanbridgeGet Out Get Active sessions at Banbridge Leisure CentreA low intensity council fitness class held on Friday mornings in Banbridge, aimed at older people, people with health conditions and anyone easing back into exercise. A carer can come along to the session and help with changing, water and the walk from the car park.Details
  • Volunteering · BanbridgeBanbridge Men's ShedA meeting place for older men in the Banbridge area, with woodworking machinery, an art room and members who teach new skills. A carer can handle transport and stay for the first few visits until someone finds their feet.Details
  • Volunteering · BanbridgeBanbridge District u3aA member run group for retired and semi retired people, with around ten interest groups and no qualifications needed to join. A carer can help with the paperwork, choose a group that matches an old interest and provide the lift to monthly meetings.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Banbridge

At a glance

The eight 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
Game of Thrones Studio TourBanbridgehalf a dayPaid entryYesYesYes
Solitude ParkBanbridgean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
The BoulevardBanbridgehalf a dayFreeAskAskYes
Scarva ParkScarvaan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Newry Canal TowpathScarvaan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Dromore CathedralDromorean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Dromore ParkDromorean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Loughbrickland ParkLoughbricklandan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Banbridge

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

12345678
  1. 1Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Banbridge
  2. 2Solitude Park, Banbridge
  3. 3The Boulevard, Banbridge
  4. 4Scarva Park, Scarva
  5. 5Newry Canal Towpath, Scarva
  6. 6Dromore Cathedral, Dromore
  7. 7Dromore Park, Dromore
  8. 8Loughbrickland Park, Loughbrickland

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Banbridge

Carers in Banbridge 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 Banbridge has the full figures.

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

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Banbridge

Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge, Solitude Park in Banbridge, The Boulevard in Banbridge, Scarva Park in Scarva, Newry Canal Towpath in Scarva, Dromore Cathedral in Dromore, Dromore Park in Dromore and Loughbrickland Park in Loughbrickland. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Game of Thrones Studio Tour describes a step-free route. Game of Thrones Studio Tour has an accessible toilet. Game of Thrones Studio Tour and The Boulevard lend wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Solitude Park, The Boulevard, Scarva Park, Newry Canal Towpath, Dromore Cathedral, Dromore Park and Loughbrickland Park. 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. 11 of the carers with a rate near Banbridge drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Banbridge 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 Banbridge

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

Companionship care in the counties around Banbridge

Days out in the areas around Banbridge

Companionship care by town in Banbridge

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 Banbridge

See carers near Banbridge 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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