Six-Mile Water, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

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Our son is a jazz musician and while we were in Ireland we were able to attend an outdoor gig at Clotworthy House in Six Mile Water, Northern Ireland. Six Mile Water is also a river which flows into Lough Neagh. It is famous for its trout fishing. We visited Clotworthy House and Antrim Castle gardens while we were there. The gardens have been in existence for some 400 years. If you view the YouTube photos you will see a stone statue of a dog. The information sheet said that the dog had twice saved lives at the Castle. The first was that of Lady Marian Langford who, shortly after her marriage in 1607 to Sir Hugh Clotworthy, was taking a leisurely stroll when she was threatened by a large wolf. As the wolf lunged, Marian fainted. Suddenly a wolfhound appeared and a violent fight ensued. When she awoke, Marian saw the wolf was dead and the wounded wolfhound was licking her hand. The dog was taken to Antrim Castle and its wounds dressed. Shortly after the now-recovered dog mysteriously disappeared. Some years later, the baying of wolfhound alerted the Wardens of the Castle to the presence of invaders. They lit a beacon fire on the motte (a mound forming the site of a camp or castle) and repelled the enemy with a single cannon shot. At dawn, the occupants of the Castle saw a stone statue of a wolfhound standing on the highest turret. Historians suggest that Sir Hugh Clotworthy went to extreme lengths to conceal the fact that he had commissioned a stone carving of the legendary animal in 1612 and had gone to great efforts to place the statue in an elevated position. Other photos show the motte, a 'free library' and a very tall ladder. We came across these little libraries in all sorts of places right across the country. The ladder was used to trim the yew and lime hedges right up until the 1990s. The ladder now acts as a reference point to show the desired height. Although I'd never heard of this place before, we really enjoyed our visit.