The Ballance House

What it’s like

A guided tour round a 19th century homestead with New Zealand links, plus craft workshops, but you'll need to book ahead.

This one's a proper guided tour rather than a wander round on your own. You get taken through a 19th century homestead and an exhibition telling the story of Ulster people who emigrated to New Zealand, and the tour itself runs about an hour, with most visits taking around two hours all in once you've had a look round. It's not the sort of place you can just turn up to on a whim either. Numbers on the exhibition tours are kept deliberately small for comfort, so booking is how you guarantee your slot.

Under-12s go free on the tour, which is a nice touch given adult tickets are £5.50, and there's a family tour price of £15 for two adults and two young people if you're going as a group. Over-12s pay £3.50. On top of the tours there are workshops, textile weaving and crochet at £15, or glass upcycling at £7, though again places are limited and you'll want to book those in advance too.

The catch, and it's a fairly big one, is opening. The house itself only reopens to the public on Sundays from 2027, so outside of that you're relying on event days, a group booking, or special arrangement. The Tea Barn softens this a bit, open Sunday afternoons through June to August for light refreshments, and available for group hire year round if you want to bring your own event to it.

There's a stair lift up to the first floor of the exhibition and an accessible toilet on the ground floor, so it's manageable if mobility is a concern. Dogs are welcome throughout, including assistance dogs in training, with water bowls put out for them. Parking is free and there's room for coaches and minibuses too, which suggests this is a venue that's used to groups turning up together.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Under 12s who go free, though the tour format suits any age

Booking

Groups require advance booking

Parking

Free car, minibus and coach parking on site

How long to allow

Approximately 2 hours

Food

Tea Barn with light refreshments and snacks

Wheelchairs

Stair lift available for access to first floor

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs and assistance dogs welcome

• The house only reopens to the public on Sundays from 2027, so event days or group bookings are your way in before then
• Workshop places are genuinely limited, so book textile weaving, crochet or glass upcycling well ahead
• The Tea Barn only does Sunday afternoons June to August outside of group hire
• Baby changing facilities are on the ground floor alongside the accessible toilet

Plan your visit

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