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Drum Manor Forest Park, Cookstown

Companionship careCookstown

Days out in Cookstown for an older parent

Seven places in Cookstown that make a good day out for an older parent, from Drum Manor Forest Park to Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre. 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

Drum Manor Forest Park. Photo: ItsShandog, CC BY-SA 4.0

Seven days out across four towns

The best places to take an older parent in Cookstown

Five of them are free to visit or to walk around. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Drum Manor Forest Park, Cookstown

Photo: ItsShandog, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Cookstown

Drum Manor Forest Park

Drum Manor Forest Park is an 18th-century estate west of Cookstown, now run as a forest park with a butterfly garden, a Japanese garden, an arboretum and a wildfowl lake. Waymarked trails of different lengths start and finish at the main car park.

There is a self-guided trail with wheelchair access, toilets at the car park, and the shorter routes are graded as relatively flat and smooth.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free entry, parking charged

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 Cookstown

Lissan House

Historic house · Cookstown

Lissan House

Lissan House was the home of the Staples family for nearly 400 years and sits in a 260-acre estate of old woodland north of Cookstown. The grounds have a walled garden, riverside walks and features such as an ice house, and the house itself can be seen on a guided tour booked ahead.

The grounds are open all year, and the carer can book a house tour in advance so there is no waiting around, then choose a short stretch of the walks.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
£3 per car, coins only

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 Cookstown

Beaghmore Stone Circles, Beaghmore

Photo: Wax0nightmare, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Beaghmore

Beaghmore Stone Circles

Beaghmore has seven stone circles, ten stone rows and twelve cairns set in open moorland, uncovered during peat cutting in the 1930s. The stones date back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, and some rows line up with the midsummer sunrise.

It is free and always open, and no access details are published, so the carer can look at the ground from the parking area first and decide how far to walk among the stones.

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

Tullaghoge Fort, Tullyhogue

Photo: HENRY CLARK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Tullyhogue

Tullaghoge Fort

Tullaghoge Fort is a hilltop earthwork where the O'Neill kings of Ulster were inaugurated from the 11th century until the early 1600s. From the enclosure there are wide views over the Tyrone countryside.

Reaching the fort means a walk uphill from the car park, so the carer should judge the slope on arrival and turn back if needed.

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 Tullyhogue

Ardboe High Cross, Ardboe

Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Ardboe

Ardboe High Cross

Ardboe High Cross is a tenth-century stone cross, 18 feet tall, standing beside the ruins of an old church and abbey on the western shore of Lough Neagh. Its 22 carved panels show scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

The cross stands in an old graveyard beside the lough, so a carer can plan a short look at the carvings and then a sit in the car looking out over the water.

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 Ardboe

Lough Fea

Nature reserve · Cookstown

Lough Fea

Lough Fea is a 180-acre lake in the hills north-west of Cookstown, with a 4km walkway all the way round the water. There are views across the Sperrins and a children's play area by the car park.

Toilet facilities are provided on site, and the carer can walk a short stretch of the lakeside path and come back the same way rather than doing the full hour-long circuit.

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 Cookstown

Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre

Gallery · Cookstown

Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre

The Burnavon in Cookstown town centre is Mid Ulster's theatre and arts centre, with concerts, comedy, drama and films through the year. It also has a craft shop selling local work and an exhibition gallery.

An afternoon show or a look round the gallery is an easy indoor outing, and the carer can ring the box office ahead to ask about seats near the aisle.

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 Cookstown

Regular groups and events in Cookstown

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

  • Painting · CookstownArt and craft workshops at the BurnavonThe arts centre runs seasonal workshops covering painting, sewing, calligraphy and cooking for a range of ages and abilities, including sessions tied to Positive Ageing Month. A carer could book a place, sit alongside as a second pair of hands and sort out the materials and transport.Details
  • Volunteering · CookstownMid Ulster Volunteer CentreThe volunteer centre is based in Cookstown and Magherafelt and matches people with local volunteering roles and training. A carer could sit with someone to go through the listed opportunities and go with them to a first session.Details
  • Knitting · CookstownCommunity Knit and Natter at Cookstown LibraryA weekly knitting and chat group meeting in Cookstown Library on Wednesday afternoons with refreshments. A carer can confirm current times with the library, provide the lift and stay for the company if someone is nervous about going in alone.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Cookstown

At a glance

The seven 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
Drum Manor Forest ParkCookstownhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
Lissan HouseCookstownhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
Beaghmore Stone CirclesBeaghmorean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Tullaghoge FortTullyhoguean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Ardboe High CrossArdboean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Lough FeaCookstownan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Burnavon Arts and Cultural CentreCookstownan hour or twoCheck pricesAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Cookstown

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

1234567
  1. 1Drum Manor Forest Park, Cookstown
  2. 2Lissan House, Cookstown
  3. 3Beaghmore Stone Circles, Beaghmore
  4. 4Tullaghoge Fort, Tullyhogue
  5. 5Ardboe High Cross, Ardboe
  6. 6Lough Fea, Cookstown
  7. 7Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre, Cookstown

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Cookstown

Carers in Cookstown charge £19 to £22 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 Cookstown has the full figures.

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

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Cookstown

Drum Manor Forest Park in Cookstown, Lissan House in Cookstown, Beaghmore Stone Circles in Beaghmore, Tullaghoge Fort in Tullyhogue, Ardboe High Cross in Ardboe, Lough Fea in Cookstown and Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre in Cookstown. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

Drum Manor Forest Park, Beaghmore Stone Circles, Tullaghoge Fort, Ardboe High Cross and Lough Fea. 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 Cookstown drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Cookstown 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 Cookstown

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

Companionship care in the counties around Cookstown

Days out in the areas around Cookstown

Find a carer who could take them out in Cookstown

See carers near Cookstown 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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