Greyabbey Overview

A few miles down from Mount Stewart through the tiny town of Greyabbey lies its famous ruined Cistercian abbey. Founded in AD 1193 by Affreca, wife of Norman conqueror John de Courcey, who also built Inchabbey near Downpatrick, the abbey was the first fully Gothic building in Ireland. The abbey is located a few blocks from the town’s crossroads at the bend in the road on Church St.; it is well signposted. The beautiful ruins have an adjoining cemetery and a medieval  Physic Garden, where healing plants were cultivated to cure such common monastic ailments as flatulence, melancholy, and lunacy. Visitors can touch and taste the plants, and often take some home as well. A medieval vegetable garden grows elephant garlic, kale, and white carrots, which seasoned monks’ meals before their orange counterparts came into existence in 1500. (Bus #10 from Belfast’s Oxford St. Bus Station to Portaferry goes via Greyabbey. ☎9054 4278. Open Apr.-Oct. M-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 1-6pm; Oct.-Mar. for groups by appointment. Free.) Abandon the ascetic life and have a pint or generous meal in the yellow Wildflower Inn Kitchen open M-Th 12:30am-3pm and 5-8:30pm, F noon-3pm and 5-9pm, Sa noon-9pm, Su noon-8pm.) Across the street, Pebbles Coffee Shop Open Tu-F 10am-5pm, Sa 9am-5pm, Su 2-5pm. MC/V.)