Abundant local historical sites
Balsoon Lodge is the perfect place to immerse oneself in the verdant Irish countryside and from which to explore the many wonders of the magnificent Boyne Valley and the history of Ireland’s Ancient East.
https://www.discoverireland.ie/irelands-ancient-east
https://www.discoverboynevalley.ie
Indeed, the remarkable Bective Bridge and Abbey are to be found in the immediate vicinity, while the famous Hill of Tara is only a few minutes up the road. Slightly further afield, but easily reached, are Trim Castle, Newgrange and Slane Castle, to name but a few.
Lots to do locally
In Bective alone, there’s plenty to keep you busy. If you’re feeling daring, try wild swimming in the Boyne down at Bective Bridge.
Or if you’d rather stick to the river’s banks, try yoga at Sinead‘s Yoga Sanctuary or steam up in Hot Box Sauna. And don’t forget to visit Crockett’s pub!
The Lodge’s kitchen is well equipped for cooking, but the local area has a few culinary delights of its own. The newly opened Preston’s Restaurant in Bellinter House Hotel is our local answer to haute cuisine but the food vans Once Upon a Thai and Karlito’s Pizza present equally delicious, if somewhat more casual dining options. For coffee, try the café at Bective Mill Coffee Dock or the Bective Stud Tea Rooms and take the opportunity to stroll their miles of beautiful walkways along the river. Bee Wise Nature Trail is only a 5 minute drive from the Lodge where a private tour can be booked by appointment. Or if you’re on the go, sample the coffee from Gulp’s drive-thru at Garlow Cross.
Aside from that, the local area offers many other opportunities for the disposal of leisure, with a choice of golf courses (Royal Tara, Kileen, Knightsbrook), spas (Bellinter, Knightsbrook) and racecourses (Navan, Punchestown, Fairyhouse) in easy distance from the house. There is also a tennis court on-site, available for use seasonally (rackets and balls provided).
Balsoon Lodge offers a well-stocked library, with a specially curated selection of books by local authors, from Mary Lavin and J.P. Donleavy to Jonathan Swift. For those inspired by landscape and moved to do something creative, art supplies are provided. Daub something delightful!
*Due to the ornate decoration and high finish of the guesthouse, the residence is unfortunately not child-friendly and we have a policy of no children under 15 as guests. Thank you for your understanding.
Boots' Boyne Valley Guide Book
The Hill of Tara
A five minute drive from Balsoon Lodge the Hill of Tara has been important since the late Stone Age, when a passage tomb was built there. However, the site became truly significant in the Iron Age (600 BC to 400 AD) and into the Early Christian Period when it rose to supreme prominence – as the seat of the high kings of Ireland. All old Irish roads lead to this critical site.
St Patrick himself went there in the fifth century. There are still remarkable sights to be seen. Just one example is the Lia Fáil – the great coronation stone and one of the four legendary treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann – which stands proudly on the monument known as An Forradh.
Bective Abbey
Bective Abbey was founded in 1147 for the Cistercian Order by Murchad O'Maeil- Sheachlainn, King of Meath. It was Ireland's second Cistercian Abbey.
Bective became an important monastic settlement. The remains now visible at the Abbey date mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries. They include the church, chapter house and cloister. The cloister ruins are particularly well-preserved and feature pointed and decorated gothic arches typical of Cistercian architecture.
https://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/boyne-valley-drive/heritage-sites/bective-abbey
Trim Castle
In fact, the castle is the largest Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy and his successors took 30 years to build it. The central fortification is a monumental three-storey keep.
This massive 20-sided tower, which is cruciform in shape, was all but impregnable in its day. It was protected by a ditch, curtain wall and water-filled moat.
Modern walkways now allow you to look down over the interior of the keep – a chance to appreciate the sheer size and thickness of the mighty castle walls.
Newgrange / Brú Na Bóinne
Visitor Centre, Newgrange and Knowth
