Fields of Change: Farming, Land, and Rural Heritage in Ards and North Down

Bringing together historians, archaeologists and local experts, the conference offers fresh insights into how agricultural practices and landholding patterns have shaped the cultural and physical landscape of this unique region over the centuries. 

09:30   Registration & refreshments                          

10:00   Welcome address by The Mayor of Ards and North Down and North Down Museum                         

10:15   Dr Frances O'Kane & Professor Mícheál Ó Mainnín, Northern Ireland Placename Project            

Title: 'Old Names, New Land: Townland names reflecting shifts in land use in Ards and North Down'

Synopsis: This talk looks at how local townland names can help us understand how the landscape of Ards and North Down has changed over time. From early farming and religious sites to coastal trading places and large estates, the names of townlands give clues about how land was used, owned and understood in the past. Using local examples and linking with the museum’s collections, the talk shows how place-names can tell powerful stories about the people, places and history of the Borough.

11:00   Thomas McErlean, landscape archaeologist and Senior Research Fellow, University of Ulster           

Title: TBC (Topic focus is the agricultural and landscape perspective of Nendrum Early Medieval Mill)

11:45   Dr John O'Keefe, Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland              

Title: Turning into a field: Late Medieval and Early Modern Land Management

12:30   Morning Questions                  

12:45   Lunch               

13:30   Malachy Conway, Regional Archaeologist (NI), National Trust    

Title: TBC (topic focus is the designed landscapes and estates of the 18th and 19th centuries)

14:15   Brian White, author and member of Bayburn Historical Society and Family History in North Down and Ards           

Title: Before the Famine: farming in Ards & North Down

15:00   Lorraine Alexander, Ballybooley Dexters - Certified 'Pasture For Life' Beef Farmers and Retailers, and members of 'The Nature Friendly Farming Network'. 

Title: Fields of Change: Restoring Heritage and Regenerative Practices at Orlock Farm

15:30   Afternoon Questions               

15:45   Closing remarks