The best road cycling routes around Drumnastrade

As you step through the magnificent gate, you will be enveloped by the timelessness of this historic place. The old walls, which shine in the sun, tell stories from times long past and invite you to discover them. The municipality has enriched this treasure trove of history with a library and a museum that attract knowledge seekers and history lovers. In the quiet rooms of the library you can leaf through old writings and be transported back to times gone by, while the museum brings the history of the place and its people to life. After a journey of discovery through history and culture, the Priorat's café beckons with its seductive scent of freshly brewed coffee. Here, in an ambience that wonderfully combines modernity and history, you can take a little time out. Choose from comfortable seating inside or settle on one of the terraces to soak up the rays while munching on delicious pastries. But the Priory has even more to offer. A dreamy little walkway winds from the building down to the river. A path lined with blooming flowers and old trees that acts as an invitation to explore this wonderful terrain in all its splendor.

This handsome looking weir stretches across the river like a silent sentinel, capturing the clear waters of the Blackwater as they glisten in the sun and bathe the surrounding area in a calming sound. Next to the weir there is a green oasis in which time seems to stand still. Lush green areas, peppered with scattered trees, invite you to linger. Picnic benches, strategically placed, offer the ideal place to watch the water play at the weir, let your thoughts wander and unwind. Here, on the banks of the Blackwater, you can escape everyday life for a moment and lose yourself in the peaceful atmosphere of the park.

Also known as Black Lough, it's unique habitat means it is a great place for bird watching with a number of rare species being seen. You're also likely to spot people course fishing for pike and perch. There are even eels in the water.

Built in the early 17th century for Sir Toby Caulfield, who was given land during the Plantation. Park up your bike and take some time to explore the ruins by foot. Keep an eye out for the murder holes which give an idea of its grim history, as well as the Caulfield Coat of Arms in a prominent position above the doorway.

The priory is a beautiful building in Benburb that invites the community to visit the library, museum, or grab a coffee and a scone at the wonderful cafe (fit with lovely indoor and outdoor seating). A small footpath leads from the priory to the river where you can explore further these wonderful grounds.

Pretty looking weir stretching across the River Blackwater in the Benburb Valley Park. To the side of the weir, there is some greenery and picnic benches where you can take a seat and relax.

Petrol station 200 or so metres away if you wish to restock snacks or fill the bidons

Nowadays a crumbling relic of a once thriving business empire. Fruitfield factory on the main Portadown-Armagh Road (adjacent to Richhill) goes back well into the last century, when Charles B. Lamb bought the premises to run his jam and foods business. Charles had come from England to work in Richardson’s Mill in Bessbrook, but fancied the challenge of starting up on his own, he moved to Richhill, and began in a small way in Richhill village. The business was as immediate success, Charles expanded into the factory in 1886, he and wife were married the following year, and the entire family of eight was involved in the business. The Richhill factory until 1920’s when Ireland was troubled, business was tough and the business lay dormant for a few years. Then, the three sons of Charlotte (then Mrs Peile) felt it would be a good idea to start a business of preserving fruit, as they witnessed so many strawberries, apples and other fruits being dumped – thus ‘Fruitfield Preserves’ was born. They made a full range of jams, including marmalade from oranges imported from Spain, as well as canned fruit and foods, plus jellies, and the business really thrived-they grew much of their own fruit in their own farms dotted around County Armagh and also bought from farmers. But in the mid-1960’s, foreign imports started eating into the market share – mainly from Bulgaria and South Africa where the climate was ideal for growing and labour was cheap. It’s quite a contrast from the days when Fruitfield was a real centre of activity – not just for workers under that particular roof, but for wide spectrum of farming and fruit growing community. There was scarcely a home in Portadown, or Northern Ireland for that matter, which didn’t have in its larder jams, tinned fruit or jelly from ‘Fruitfield Preserves.’