A grey-stone Victorian manor above its own private lake, wrapped in woodland, mountain-bike trails and a shed full of old coaches. Blessingbourne is a 550-acre estate at Fivemiletown — and there's a proper day in it.
What you'll do — walk the woodland and lakeside paths around Lough Fadda, ride the estate's mountain-bike trails, poke round the Carriage & Costume Museum, or drop a line in the coarse-fishing lakes. There's a working farm too, with peacocks, ponies and red squirrels in the woods.
The trails & the museum — around 13km of mountain-bike trails and a pump track (bike hire available), plus waymarked walking routes. The museum holds original coaches, buggies, penny-farthings and a Romany caravan — said to include an 1825 stagecoach.
Fishing & a stay — 18 acres of private coarse-fishing lakes, and a courtyard of self-catering apartments and cottages if you want to make a weekend of it. Wild swimming too, for the brave.
How long — half a day to a full one, depending how much you ride and walk. All ages, with plenty of room for the children to run.
Cost — varies by activity — the trails, museum, bike hire and fishing are priced separately. Check the estate before you set off; don't turn up expecting a single ticket.
Getting there, parking & dogs — just outside Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone, with parking on the estate. Dogs are welcome — it's a pet-friendly place.
The manor house is a private family home. You don't tour the house — the day-out is the trails, the lake, the museum and the activities, not the front door.
Some things need booking or a permit. The museum, bike hire and coarse fishing may need arranging ahead — ring or check the estate first rather than chancing it.
Plan your visit
Can I visit? Yes — pick your activity.
Blessingbourne isn't a one-ticket attraction — it's an estate you come to do things. Walk the lakeside and woodland trails, ride the mountain-bike routes, visit the Carriage & Costume Museum, or fish the coarse lakes. Each is priced on its own, and some need booking, so check with the estate first and plan the day around what you fancy. The manor house itself is a private home and isn't open to walk through.
Opening times, prices and booking differ for each activity — the museum, bike hire and fishing especially. Ring or check the estate ahead so you're not caught out. The house is a private family home and not part of the visit.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Boots or trainers with gripWoodland and lakeside paths — grand in trainers when dry, muddy after rain.
🧥A coat or a layerYou're out in the open by the water. A breeze and a shower are never far off.
🚲Your own bike (or hire one)Bring a bike for the trails and pump track, or arrange hire with the estate ahead.
🎣Fishing gear & a permitIf you're fishing the coarse lakes, sort the permit and tackle before you arrive.
What's on
Things to do on the estate
🚲Mountain-bike trails & pump trackFamily
🏛️Carriage & Costume Museum tour
🎣Private coarse-fishing lakes
Booking:
These run on their own arrangements — confirm availability, times and permits with the estate before you travel.
Good to know
Everything before you go
What it is
A private 550-acre Victorian estate at Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone. The day-out is the outdoors and the museum — walking and mountain-bike trails around Lough Fadda, the Carriage & Costume Museum, coarse fishing, and self-catering cottages if you stay. The manor house is a private family home, not open to tour.
The trails
Said to be around 13km of on-site mountain-bike trails plus a pump track, with bike hire available, alongside woodland and lakeside walking routes. Check trail access and bike hire with the estate before you set off.
The museum
The Carriage & Costume Museum holds original coaches, buggies, penny-farthings, a Romany caravan and vintage costumes — thought to include an 1825 stagecoach. Times and admission are arranged with the estate, so confirm ahead.
Fishing
Around 18 acres of private coarse-fishing lakes. You'll need to arrange a permit — sort it with the estate before you arrive.
Getting in
There's no single ticket — the trails, museum, bike hire and fishing are priced separately, and some need booking. Check current prices and times with the estate on the day.
Dogs
Welcome — it's a pet-friendly estate. Keep them under control near the farm animals and other visitors.
Parking
On the estate. Follow signs on arrival.
How long
Half a day to a full one, depending on how much you ride, walk and explore.
Questions
Before you go
Can I go inside the manor house?
No — the house is a private family home and isn't open to walk through. The day-out is the estate around it: the trails, the lake, the Carriage & Costume Museum and the activities.
Do I need to book?
For some things, yes. The museum, bike hire and coarse fishing tend to run on their own arrangements, so ring or check the estate ahead rather than turning up and hoping. The walking trails are the easy-going part of a visit.
Is it good for the kids?
Plenty for them — the mountain-bike trails and pump track, easy lakeside walks, a working farm with peacocks and ponies, and red squirrels in the woods if you're lucky. All ages welcome.
Can I fish there?
Yes — there are private coarse-fishing lakes, said to run to about 18 acres. You'll need to sort a permit with the estate first, so arrange it before you travel.
Are dogs allowed?
Yes, it's a pet-friendly estate and dogs are welcome. Keep them under control near the farm animals, other walkers and the water.
How much does it cost?
It depends what you do — the trails, museum, bike hire and fishing are all priced separately, and there's no single all-in ticket. Check the current rates with the estate on the day.
Getting there
Just outside Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, on the road between Enniskillen and Clogher — signposted off the main road, with parking on the estate.
The Montgomery family had held land here since the 1700s, but the house you see today is Victorian. After his marriage in 1870, Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery set about building a proper family seat, and the grey-stone Elizabethan-style manor was finished around 1874, looking out over Lough Fadda.
It's said to be the work of the English architect Frederick Pepys Cockerell — grand chimneys, mullioned windows and gabled roofs above the water. Mary Montgomery is credited with laying out the estate's Victorian rock garden, and the demesne grew into the woodland, lawns and lakes that surround the house now.
The estate later passed to the Lowry family, who still live there. Captain Robert Lowry inherited from Peter Montgomery, and over the years his fondness for old carriages and vintage transport grew into the collection that became the Carriage & Costume Museum — coaches, penny-farthings and a Romany caravan among them.
Today it's run as a working estate and a place to visit — trails and a pump track for the bikes, walks around the lake, fishing on the private lakes, a farm, and courtyard cottages for anyone who wants to stay a while in this quiet corner of County Tyrone.