Overview
At more than 250 acres – 259 by some counts – Lurgan Park is the largest urban park in Northern Ireland and the second largest on the island, behind only Dublin’s Phoenix Park. It fills the ground behind the market town of Lurgan in County Armagh, centred on a man-made lake with about five kilometres of paths through woodland, open grass and formal avenues. It holds a Green Flag Award, hosts a weekly parkrun and junior parkrun, and costs nothing to enter.
This is a working town park rather than a beauty spot – expect playing pitches in use, dog-walkers and a busy parkrun on Saturday mornings – but it is a handsome one, and the lake and the fountain are worth the trip on their own.
History and heritage
The park was once the grounds of the Brownlow estate, laid out in the early 19th century and still overlooked from the north-west by Brownlow House, an Elizabethan-style mansion built in 1833 for Charles Brownlow. The house had a busy war: during the Second World War it billeted a large American contingent, and secret operations were planned inside; a WWII exhibition now fills its basement. Local lore has it linked to the town by a hidden tunnel.
In the early 20th century the estate passed to the Lurgan Loyal Orange District Lodge and opened to the public. The standout survivor from that era is the Coalbrookdale Fountain at the head of the main avenue – one of only four cast-iron fountains of its type left anywhere in the world.
Lakeside leisure
The lake is the heart of it, and for a short visit the loop around the water past the Coalbrookdale Fountain is the walk to do. Anglers have twenty newly built fishing stands along the water’s edge; the lake is stocked with roach, bream and tench, and a fishing licence is required to cast a line.
For something more active, rowing boats hire out at £2 per person for 30 minutes. Life jackets come with every hire, and children under 16 must have an adult with them on the water.
Sports and play
- Tennis: six flood-lit courts, four of them all-weather, bookable at least 48 hours ahead through the council’s Outdoor Bookings calendar.
- Team sports: a bowling green, a cricket wicket and several football pitches in community use.
- Play area: a modern, fully fenced playground with equipment for a range of ages.
Walking
The park has about five kilometres of surfaced paths, and the pick of them is the loop around the lake – the best of the park’s wildlife, especially in early morning light. Woodland paths branch off through the mature trees, and a new walking trail was added under the Lurgan Townscape Heritage scheme. The going is flat and easy throughout.
Lurgan Golf Club
On the park’s edge sits Lurgan Golf Club, a parkland course founded in 1893 as nine holes and extended to eighteen in 1970. The layout, by Frank Pennink, runs to 6,298 yards off a par of 70, mixing open stretches with tighter tree-lined holes and views over the lake. There is a modern clubhouse, a bar overlooking the closing holes, and a golf academy rated as a GUI Regional Development Centre. Green fees, tee times and dining hours shift with the season, so check with the club directly before a visit.
Getting there and parking
The park is a short walk from Lurgan town centre and signposted from the M1. There is no dedicated car park: free on-street parking is available at Windsor Avenue, Robert Street and off the A3 between Lurgan and Dollingstown, with more free parking at the Waves Leisure Centre. The nearest railway station is Lurgan, on the Belfast–Dublin line.
Mobility scooters can be borrowed free of charge but must be pre-booked through the Parks Development Officer on +44 (0) 7766 740427. Accessible toilets are off the main avenue at the Cush Pavilion, and the main paths are paved and wheelchair-friendly. For the wildlife on the lake, come early – the water is at its quietest and best just after opening.