Stormont Estate facts for kids
The Stormont Estate is an estate east of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the site of Northern Ireland's main Parliament Buildings, which is surrounded by woods and parkland, and is often referred in contemporary media as the metonym "Stormont".
The Stormont Estate is within the townland of Ballymiscaw.
The Cleland family
The Stormont Estate was established by the Reverend John Cleland (1755–1834) in the early nineteenth century. He built Stormont Castle in 1830 which was described as a "large plain house with very little planting about it". In 1858 the exterior of the castle was redesigned in the Scottish Baronial style by the local architect Thomas Turner. Some ancillary buildings were added at this time including a lean-to glasshouse and stables. A terraced garden and a walled kitchen garden were also created. When Cleland died in 1834 the estate went to John Cleland (1836–1893) and then finally to Arthur Charles Stewart Cleland (1865–1924).
The origin of the name "Stormont" is unclear. It may be a shortened version of "Storm Mount" (recorded as the name of the estate in 1834), or it may have been taken from the name of a district of Perthshire. The Perthshire name is Gaelic in origin, and is believed to mean "place for crossing the mountain" (from star monadh). There is also a Stormont in County Limerick, and a couple of Stormounts in Armagh and Down.
The Cleland family moved out in 1893 to live abroad and the estate was let to a tenant. When the tenancy ended, initial efforts to sell the estate failed.
Public access
The Stormont Estate grounds are open to the public. Facilities include a boardwalk, a fitness trail, an outdoor gym and a barbecue area. There is also a children's playpark named after former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, MP.
Stormont Estate is now home to the Stormont Parkrun, a free, weekly, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) timed run.
Stormont regulations
The regulations governing the use of the Stormont Estate are displayed at its entrance. These were initially enacted on 31 October 1933, in an order by the Ministry of Finance. These were eventually amended and the regulations currently in force are:
- The Stormont Estate Regulations, 1933
- The Stormont Estate Amendment Regulations (Northern Ireland), 1951
- The Stormont Estate Amendment Regulations (Northern Ireland), 1958
