The Crom Estate (pronounced ''K-ROM''') is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

located in the south of

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, along the shores of Upper Lough Erne. It is one of three estates owned and managed by the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

in County Fermanagh, the others being

Florence Court Florence Court is a large 18th-century house and estate located 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is set in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain. The nearby village is distinguished by the one-word name Flo ...

and

Castle Coole Castle Coole (from ga, CúlLogainm
– Castle Coole – scanned record 2) is a

mansions. The estate comprises , composed primarily of

riparian forest A riparian forest or riparian woodland is a forested or wooded area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir. Etymology The term riparian comes from the Latin word '' ...

. Some trees are so ancient that physical access is restricted.

Features

The estate is open to the public for recreational activities and weddings. The ruins of the old castle, a

bowling green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

and garden are tourist attractions.

History

Like many

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

country estates, the first house at Crom was built by a Scottish Planter at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1611, as part of the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

, Michael Balfour, the Laird of Mountwhinney, constructed a house on the lough shore opposite Inishfendra Island. Following the usual pattern for a Plantation castle, it was built of lime and stone and enclosed within a bawn. The castle was invaded twice by believers of the

Jacobitism Jacobitism (; gd, Seumasachas, ; ga, Seacaibíteachas, ) was a political movement that supported the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British throne. The name derives from the first name ...

before it was burnt down in the early 1760s. The ruins of this castle still survive today. In 1840 a new neo-Tudor

Crom Castle Crom Castle (Irish: ''Caisleán na Croime'') is situated on the shores of the Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and set within a estate. The castle is built of grey stone with the main part of the building and wings being ...

was built, designed by Scottish architect

Edward Blore Edward Blore (13 September 1787 – 4 September 1879) was a 19th-century English landscape and architectural artist, architect and antiquary. Early career He was born in Derby, the son of the antiquarian writer Thomas Blore. Blore's backg ...

. It remains the property of the

Earl of Erne Earl Erne, of Crom Castle in the County of Fermanagh, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1789 for John Creighton, 2nd Baron Erne, who had earlier represented Lifford (Parliament of Ireland constituency) in the Irish House ...

and is not open to the public. The estate was given to the National Trust by The 6th Earl of Erne (often known as Harry Erne) in 1987. Crom Estate was the location of a great Classic yacht and steamboat regatta in August 2010 when the races of the 1890s were recreated in Trial bay using Norfork Broads One-Designs (brown boats), Lough Erne Fairies, Fife One Designs from Anglesea, and a pair of Colleens. Racing took place on Upper Lough Erne within sight of the castle, and the boats moored each evening off the boathouse in Crom Bay.

References

External links

Virtual Tour of Crom Estate Northern Ireland
- Virtual Visit Northern Ireland

Upper Lough Erne biodiversity profile. {{coord, 54.16595, N, 7.4465, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Conservation in Northern Ireland Buildings and structures in County Fermanagh Forests and woodlands of Northern Ireland National Trust properties in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland coast and countryside Nature reserves in Northern Ireland Protected areas of County Fermanagh