A Victorian country house above the River Blackwater that time seems to have walked past — barely changed since around 1900, and still lit by its own acetylene gas plant, said to be one of the last of its kind still working. Wrap it in rose gardens, riverside woodland and a big adventure playpark, and you've got a proper half-day out near Moy.
What you'll see — the gas-lit house by guided tour (family furnishings, the cabriolet carriage and the famous barrel organ), the stable yard, the sundial and rose gardens, the acetylene gas house, and riverside and woodland walks across a wooded estate.
Room to roam — over 300 acres of parkland and riverside woodland to wander, with an adventure playpark for the children to burn off steam.
The gas house — down by the stable yard sits the acetylene gas plant that still lights the house, thought to be one of the last of its kind anywhere — a genuine oddity worth a look.
How long & who for — half a day for house, gardens and a wander; longer if the play area and full walks take hold. All ages, and dogs on a lead are welcome across the grounds.
Members walk in free. Everyone else pays at the gate — this is a National Trust property, so check current prices before you travel. Under-5s and members go free.
The house is by guided or timed tour and seasonal — the grounds usually open more widely than the house. If the inside is your reason for coming, check current opening times before you set off.
On site — a tea room and café, toilets, a car park by the visitor entrance, and a second-hand bookshop often on site. Picnics welcome across the parkland.
Plan your visit
Members free · everyone else pays at the gate
National Trust members walk in free — house, gardens and grounds, no ticket. Everyone else pays at the gate, so check the current admission prices before you travel. The grounds and gardens usually open more widely than the house; the house is seen by a guided or timed tour and is seasonal, so it may be closed on quieter days or out of season. There's a café on site, parking, and a second-hand bookshop that's often open too. Check current opening hours before you set off.
Tea room & caféSecond-hand bookshopAdventure playDogs on leads (grounds)
Good to know:
The house is by guided or timed tour and can be seasonal — the grounds usually open more widely than the house. If the interior is your main reason for coming, check the day's tour times before you set off, and arrive earlier on busy weekends.
Before you set off
What to wear and bring
🥾Proper shoesRiverside and woodland paths on gravel, grass and undulating ground — good footwear beats a wet trainer.
🧥A coat, whatever the skyRain here just makes the woodland smell of earth and turns the gas-lit house into the warm place to be.
🧺A picnicThe parkland is made for one, with the café on hand if you'd rather someone else did the baking.
🐕The dog's leadDogs are welcome on a lead across the grounds — not inside the house or the formal gardens.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
National Trust members free. Everyone else pays at the gate — check the current admission prices before you travel, as they change and Gift Aid shifts the figure a little. Under-5s free.
Opening
The grounds and gardens usually open more widely than the house. The house is by guided or timed tour and is seasonal, so check current opening hours before travelling — it may be closed on quieter days or out of season.
The house
Seen by tour — the family furnishings little changed since around 1900, the cabriolet carriage, and the famous barrel organ, all lit by the house's original acetylene gas plant, said to be a rare survivor.
The grounds
Over 300 acres of riverside woodland and parkland, a walled sundial garden and rose garden, the stable yard, the acetylene gas house, and riverside and woodland walks above the River Blackwater.
Food
A tea room and café on site for hot food, cakes and drinks. Picnics welcome across the parkland too.
For children
An adventure playpark, plenty of room to run in the parkland, and the gas house and barrel organ as easy talking points.
Dogs
Welcome on a lead across the grounds and woodland. Not inside the house or the formal gardens; assistance dogs only indoors.
Getting around
Paths are mostly gravel and grass over undulating ground. Check current accessibility with the property if you're bringing a wheelchair.
Parking
On-site car park by the visitor entrance. Members park free; check current charges for non-members on the day.
How long
Half a day for the house, gardens and a wander; longer if the play area and full riverside walks take hold.
Questions
Before you go
Is it free for National Trust members?
Yes — members get the house, gardens and grounds for free. Everyone else pays at the gate, so check the current admission prices before you travel. Under-5s go free too.
Can I just walk the gardens and grounds without the house?
Usually, yes — the grounds and gardens tend to open more widely than the house. The house is a separate, guided experience, and it's seasonal, so check the day's times before setting off.
What's the acetylene gas plant about?
The Argory still lights its house from its own original acetylene gas plant, down by the stable yard — said to be one of the last of its kind still working. It's a real curiosity and part of why the house feels so unchanged.
Is there anything for children?
Yes — there's an adventure playpark, acres of parkland to run in, and riverside woodland walks. The barrel organ and the gas house make good talking points on the tour too.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome on a lead across the grounds and woodland. They're not allowed inside the house or the formal gardens, where only assistance dogs go.
Is there food?
A tea room and café on site does hot food, cakes and drinks, and you're welcome to bring a picnic for the parkland. A second-hand bookshop is often open too.
Getting there
144 Derrycaw Road, Moy, County Armagh, BT71 6NA — on a wooded estate above the River Blackwater between Moy and Dungannon, with a car park on site by the visitor entrance.
The Argory was built in the 1820s for the Irish gentry MacGeough Bond family, set above the River Blackwater on a wooded estate near Moy. What makes it unusual isn't grandeur so much as stillness: the family lived here for generations and changed remarkably little, so the house you walk through today feels much as it did around 1900 — the same furnishings, the same clutter of a home rather than a showpiece, right down to the cabriolet carriage in the stable yard and the barrel organ that could fill the hall with music.
Its quiet marvel is the light. Rather than wire the house for electricity, the family installed an acetylene gas plant in a building by the stable yard, and it still supplies the lamps today — said to be one of the last working plants of its kind anywhere. The estate came to the National Trust in the late 20th century, and beyond the house there are over 300 acres of parkland and riverside woodland, a walled sundial garden and rose garden, and an adventure playpark, so there's as much to do outside as in.