The Chronicles of Clandeboye
Where History and Landscape intertwine
by Dr John Witchell PhD
Embedded Files
Learn more about the project, with a brief insight into my work by listening to BBC Ulster - Your Place and Mine - broadcast on 1st March 2025.
During the programme, Helen Mark and I walked part of the Chronicles - Walk 1, where we shared the experience of listening to my short narratives about the history of Clandeboye as we walked through its rich landscape, using the ECHOES app. Why not try it for yourself?
Alternatively, if you are unable to get there in person to enjoy the walk, scroll on down to find my interactive maps, where you can listen to the narratives on this device.
Clandeboye Estate, between Belfast and Bangor, is one of the few estates in Northern Ireland that has remained in the same family since the seventeenth century.
The estate boasts a rich heritage which is reflected in its stunning landscape. Over the last four centuries, it has been transformed from a collection of small farmsteads into the expansive parkland you see today.
I have delved into the estate's extensive archives, leveraging historic maps and documents to craft a three-dimensional narrative of its evolution. By combining GIS mapping with archive research, I have created an immersive digital resource that allows you to explore the estate's rich legacy.
Join me as I tell stories about the Blackwood family and their passion for this wonderful estate, with immersive walks and engaging stories that will bring this remarkable place to life.
The Historical Context
The Historical Context
An unbroken line of the Blackwood family lived at Clandbeoye from 1674 until 2020. John Blackwood purchased the first part of the estate from Henry Hamilton, whose own family exploits set the scene for this remarkable history.
The sagas of Con O'Neill, James Hamilton and Hugh Montgomery that led to the settlement of Lower Clannaboy in 1605
The biographies of the Blackwood family members, from John Blackwood, Provost of Bangor around 1600 to the last Marchioness in 2020
Mapping Histories
Mapping Histories
Historic maps are the key to understanding the history of the landscape. In these two sections, the combination of Retrogressive mapping and Retrospective narratives uncover the rich histories associated with locations on the estate.
Stripping back the layers of historic maps to investigate the evolution of the landscape
Combining the retrogressive maps, archives and the landscape itself to understand the processes and narratives of the development of the landscape
Spatial Narratives
Spatial Narratives
The spatial narratives are the end product of the research into the historic landscape. These stories are all linked to specific locations and can be accessed in different ways. You can read or listen to them on your device by selecting any one of the three maps below.
For the best experience, follow the links to the ECHOES app and listen to them as you walk through the estate. Each story will be linked to your smart phone by GPS and will play automatically when you walk into its location.
In this twelve minute video presentation I describe the retrogressive sequence of maps of Helen's Bay
Contact johnwitchell@gmail.com to get more information about the project
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