The Estate - History
...forest, farmland and the Glenarm River.
Until the middle of the eighteenth century the Antrim Estate extended all the way up the coast to Dunluce Castle, Ballycastle and beyond. However, following a series of misfortunes, including the loss of a vast acreage brought about by the wreckless gambling habit of the 5th Earl of Antrim in the 18th Century, the division of the Estate in the 19th Century and finally the final Irish Land Acts of the early 20th Century, the Estate is now almost entirely limited to the land that sits within the walls of the Castle Demesne.
Today the Demesne, which was once a deer park, is a working estate consisting of forest, farmland and the Glenarm River. The Estate is continually adapting to the challenges of modern farming and in 2008 the decision was taken to move towards organic farming, as well as to return to a more traditional breed of cattle, and a programme to build up a herd of pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle was initiated.
A forester is employed throughout the year to manage the plantations on the Estate. A tree planting scheme is in place to replace hardwoods which have been lost over the years, both in the forest and throughout the Estate.
The Glenarm River is approximately 5 miles long, with the Glenarm Angling Club fishing 2 miles and a private syndicate fishing the remaining 3 miles.