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The Old Schoolhouse Inn

Newcastle of Northern Ireland · United Kingdom

100 Ballydrain Road Castle EspieView location

9.0/10Excellent96 Reviews
Cleanliness9.4/109.4
Service9.4/109.4
Comfort9.4/109.4
Condition9.0/109.0
Location10.0/1010.0
Neighborhood8.6/108.6
Amenities8.4/108.4
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Room prices, availability, meal plans and cancellation terms are confirmed for your selected dates.

About The Old Schoolhouse Inn

With a stay at The Old Schoolhouse Inn in Newtownards, you'll be 6.4 mi (10.4 km) from Scrabo Tower and 11.3 mi (18.2 km) from Rockmount Golf Club. This 4-star inn is 11.7 mi (18.8 km) from Mount Stewart and 12.1 mi (19.5 km) from Bangor Abbey.

Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access. This Art Deco inn also features complimentary babysitting/childcare, wedding services, and a picnic area. Featured amenities include complimentary wired Internet access, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage.

Free self parking is available onsite. Enjoy a meal at the restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the inn's 24-hour room service. Mingle with other guests at the complimentary reception, held daily. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge.

A complimentary full breakfast is served daily. Make yourself at home in one of the 12 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access is available. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.

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Conveniences include safes and desks, as well as phones with free local calls.

With a stay at The Old Schoolhouse Inn in Newtownards, you'll be 6.5 mi (10.4 km) from Scrabo Tower and 11.4 mi (18.4 km) from Rockmount Golf Club. This beach inn is 11.7 mi (18.9 km) from Mount Stewart and 11.8 mi (19.1 km) from Castle Park.

Make yourself at home in one of the 12 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and LCD televisions. Complimentary wired and wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and minibars.

Featured amenities include complimentary wired internet access, luggage storage, and a library. Free self parking is available onsite.

Popular amenities

Free WiFi
Parking available
Dining services
Concierge
Entertainment
Smoking areas
Accessible facilities

Check-in and check-out

Check-in from 2:00 PM
Check-in until 8:00 PM
Check-out until 11:00 AM
Minimum check-in age 18

Hotel policies

No rollaway/extra beds available No cribs (infant beds) available LGBTQIA+ friendly Professional property host/manager Pets not allowed

Cleaning and safety

Sanitization
Cashless transactions are available

Important information

  • You need to know
    • Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.
    • This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly).
  • Special Instructions
    The front desk is open daily until 10:30 PM. If you are planning to arrive after 10:30 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation. The front desk is staffed during limited hours. Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools.
  • Instructions
    • Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
    • Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
    • Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
    • This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
    • Cashless transactions are available
    • Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards
  • Minimal age
    18
  • Spoken Language

    German

    English

    French

Nearby attractions

Strangford and Lecale 5 km / 3.1 mi
Nendrum Monastic Site 5.8 km / 3.6 mi
Scrabo Tower 10.4 km / 6.5 mi
Dundonald International Ice Bowl 12.2 km / 7.6 mi
Pirates Adventure Golf 12.5 km / 7.7 mi
Gilnahirk Golf Club 14.1 km / 8.8 mi
Stormont Parliament Buildings 14.4 km / 8.9 mi
Shandon Park Golf Club 15.2 km / 9.5 mi
Killyleagh Castle 15.6 km / 9.7 mi
Rock Garden Wood 16.4 km / 10.2 mi
Clandeboye Golf Course 16.7 km / 10.4 mi
Balmoral Golf Club 16.9 km / 10.5 mi
Jetpack Adventures 17.9 km / 11.1 mi
Redburn Country Park 17.9 km / 11.1 mi
Blackwood Golf Centre 18.1 km / 11.2 mi

Hotel facilities & services

Services and fees can vary. Check the selected room details and hotel policies before booking.

  • hotel
  • 24-hour reception
  • Wi-fi
  • Laundry service
  • Babysitting service
  • Lift access
  • Garden
  • Terrace
  • Luggage room
  • Library
  • Bar
  • Restaurant
Show 2 more facilities & services
  • Breakfast
  • Picnic
Upon availability

Room types

These are the hotel's room types, rather than live offers. Choose your travel dates to see available rooms, prices and booking conditions. Check availability

No room details available for this hotel.

Guest reviews

What other guests saying about The Old Schoolhouse Inn

9.0
Excellent
96 Reviews
Cleanliness
9.4 /10
Service
9.4 /10
Comfort
9.4 /10
Condition
9.0 /10
Location
10.0 /10
Neighborhood
8.6 /10
Amenities
8.4 /10
50 reviews shown
10/10
Exceptional
09 Jun 2026
Leigh
Lovely spot to break a business trip. Room was immaculate. Homemade shortbread was a lovely touch. Bathroom a little dated but shower was hot and powerful. Breakfast was superb and the welcome was phenomenal
Self
2/10
Poor
05 May 2026
Barbara
Attempted to call the property as required in the booking details as we were going to be a few minutes after the 8:30pm arrival cut-off. No answer. Proceeded to the property anyway and arrived at 8:40pm since the booking said that the front desk is staffed until 10:30pm. There were absolutely NO lights on and the property looked abandoned. The single car in the parking area had flat tires. The reception door was unlocked so we went in. There were NO lights on again. Called out and there was no response. Rang the phone number again and could hear the phone ring down the corridor. No answer. Decided to leave before something tragic happened. Have attempted to contact Travelocity but have only been able to converse with an AI bot that has no idea what I’m trying to communicate.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
23 Mar 2026
Anthony F
Perfect for a relaxing few days. Great hospitality in the beautiful County Down countryside.
Self
10/10
Exceptional
04 Feb 2026
Norman
Great stay. Outstanding breakfasts, great location, lovely room. Only down side was the wifi didnt work, but I was out from 8am to 8pm each day so didnt really have any. Impact on a great sfay.
Business Self
10/10
Exceptional
26 Jan 2026
David
Gerry and Avril were most welcoming. The room was great, and the breakfast was tasty.
Self
10/10
Exceptional
11 Sep 2025
kevin
Great people and nice rooms
Leisure Partner
10/10
Exceptional
20 Aug 2025
Heather
Very good breakfast. Quiet location. Convenient location. Pleasant, helpful and friendly owners. Good recommendation of local places of interest.
Leisure Family
8/10
Excellent
03 Aug 2025
Verified traveler

Countryside night away

Very helpful about late check-in because we couldn't pick up the key earlier. The bed was very comfortable and the car park is spacious.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
31 Jul 2025
Stacy
Beautiful, comfortable room. Large bathroom. Hosts were so friendly and accommodating. Homemade breakfast in the morning had many tasty options.
Leisure Partner
4/10
Poor
04 May 2025
Robin
Unfortunately, this property is a shadow of its former glory days!

Good price for a couple of nights & the location is quiet. It's beside Strangford lough so exploring the local area is ideal.
Business_and_leisure Self
10/10
Exceptional
17 Apr 2025
Karen

Excellent stay

Lovely place to stay. Clean, tidy and comfortable. Close to plenty of amenities. Information provided by Avril on where to eat and landmarks to visit. Excellent cooked breakfast the next morning.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
16 Mar 2025
George
A spacious room, great service and a wonderful breakfast
10/10
Exceptional
17 Nov 2024
Lesley

Schoolhouse wins !

It was extremely comfortable and we were made very welcome by our hosts. Rooms were clean and attractive.
We can recommend without hesitation.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
21 Sep 2024
Victoria
Everything a B&B should be . Warm cozy rooms with all the amenities. Proper Irish breakfast .Directed us to a fantastic restaurant . Highly recommend
Friends_and_family Family
10/10
Exceptional
20 Sep 2024
Trevor
Everything was first class and friendly
8/10
Excellent
08 Jul 2024
Michael
Excellent hosts. Very nice place to stay
Leisure Partner
8/10
Excellent
06 May 2024
Mary

Comfy overnight stop

Very welcoming hosts and a clean spacious room. Avril showed us round on arrival. The breakfast was delicious and plentiful. Great location for exploring County Down and Strangford Lough.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
12 Apr 2024
Wendy
The guy who runs the place is fabulous, the breakfast excellent and a super comfy bed.
Business Self
10/10
Exceptional
01 Jul 2023
Ian
Lovely hospitality. Great breakfast. Relaxing, homely environment in a great rural location for exploring East Co Down, as well as being a short drive from all the attractions of Belfast
Leisure Partner
10/10
Exceptional
23 Jun 2023
JAYNE

A wonderful B & B

The Old Schoolhouse Inn was one of the nicest places that we have stayed at. It was in a beautiful and quiet area run by a lovely couple who couldn't do enough for us, they looked after us so well. we hope to return there again.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
11 Apr 2023
Jill

Delightful place to stay in Newtownards

Very friendly and helpful hosts, good location, close to Belfast but very rural, comfortable room, fabulous breakfast, plenty of parking and exactly what we hoped it would be.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
30 Jan 2023
Thomas
Very peaceful,host are very welcoming,breakfast is superb,very enjoyable stay,will certainly be back.
Leisure Partner
10/10
Exceptional
12 Apr 2022
David

Short stay at Old School House Inn

We thoroughly enjoyed our short stay - 2 nights. The staff were extremely helpful
6/10
Pleasant
02 Mar 2022
Chris

Let down

The room was nice. staff pleasant.
The main downfall of this place for me was the room service (lack of) I chose this hotel purely because it offered 24 hour room service. Knowing that my work day was going to finish quite late. I passed several hotels closer to where i was working and had chosen to drive an extra 8 miles for the option to eat when i got there.
I was told that the website shouldnt say 24 hour room service and there was a Chinese place a few miles away.
I ended up opting for my second tesco meal deal of the day.
No breakfast either! as it dosent start until 8am. No offer of toast or cereal as a slightly earlier option. Disappointing
Also ...please put some sort of light on the steps from the car park, it was pitch black and tripped while walking up them.
Business
10/10
Exceptional
25 Sep 2021
Kevin

Wonderful stay

We really enjoyed our stay. It is a lovely quiet location and ideal for the Castle Espie Wetlands Trust, just down the road. Our hosts, Terry and Avril, were super, they could not have been more friendly or helpful. Our room was very comfortable and the wonderful breakfast set us up for the day. We will happily stay there again, when we next visit the area.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
23 Jun 2021
George
Lovely place and setting. Service very good.
Partner
8/10
Excellent
16 Sep 2020
D

Nice family run place

Nice place close to a couple of great restaurants, Poachers Pocket and Daft Eddies worth a visit if you are staying here!
The hotel was tricky to see at night from the road as not lit up at all, we missed it twice, thank goodness for quiet country roads to allow for sudden stops and reversing manoeuvres!
Breakfast was fantastic with lots of homemade stuff on offer and service was very quick.
The bed was clean and really comfortable, but we did notice that the room and bathroom weren’t as clean as we would have hoped! The carpet was grubby and had some bits and pieces still on it so may not have been vacuumed and the bathroom had dust on the bottom of the sink and debris in the bath! There were also some opened biscuits in one of the drawers obviously left by the previous occupants! It wasn’t terrible but in these times of C-19 we really would have expected the room to be clinically clean.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
22 Aug 2020
Eleanore
A charming family run hotel, with wonderful hosts, a comfy bed and excellent breakfast. What more could you want. Would highly recommend
Business_and_leisure Family
10/10
Exceptional
20 Jul 2020
Sandra
Comfy bed, a great start to the day with a tasty wholesome breakfast of fresh local produce and a wonderful host, a mind of information on what to do and where to go in the Ards Peninsula and Mournes.
Partner
6/10
Pleasant
24 Feb 2020
Verified traveler
This property is situated in a nice quiet area not far from Strangford Lough. It is very scenic and you can take a lovely drive around the Ards Peninsula.
Leisure Partner
10/10
Exceptional
18 Nov 2019
Neil
Fantastic room and breakfast
Business
8/10
Excellent
06 Nov 2019
Daniel

Would go back

Great country location. Nice staff. Good breakfast.
10/10
Exceptional
09 Oct 2019
Lori W.

Wonderful

Easy check in, very accommodating. Very nice couple and great breakfast!
10/10
Exceptional
05 Sep 2019
George

Simply excellent.

Ideal centre for visiting NI. Anywhere and back in a day. We recommend Down Museum.
Friends_and_family Family
8/10
Excellent
03 Sep 2019
LE
Hosts were very nice and helpful. We basically had NO wifi for the entire stay. Also, little or no cell phone service. Dont know if that was a location problem or what. Still, nice people and comfy beds.
Leisure Family
10/10
Exceptional
13 Jun 2019
Sarah-Jane

Te perfect B and B

Such a beautiful property. Superbly comfortable room and stunningly clean bathroom. The tea and coffee room was much appreciated and the homemade shortbread delicious. The host so warm and welcoming and gave great advice for walks / dinner
10/10
Exceptional
07 Jun 2019
J
The owner was very friendly and accommodating. Rooms very comfortable and spacious.Shame the on-site restaurant wasn't open for evening meals but owner recommended a very good eatery nearby.
I would recommend The Old Schoolhouse to all.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
09 Mar 2019
Steven
A real home from home very welcoming and relaxing will definately return
10/10
Exceptional
07 Mar 2019
Verified traveler
Super super nice and friendly couple running the place
Leisure Partner
10/10
Exceptional
25 Oct 2018
Alexander

Another old schoolhouse

Very close to water bird and wetland sanctuary as well a being within a very easy drive to Belfast. Would be a very convenient location to stay whilst visiting Belfast provided you have your own transport. It will be even better if/when the restaurant reopens however it is close to other eating establishments
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
27 Sep 2018
Pamela

Excellent

Had a lovely stay. This was our second time here. Everything was so clean. We both slept so well. Lovely quiet area. The Breakfast was delicious as usual.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
26 Sep 2018
Pamela
Had a great stay here quiet room great breakfast friendly hosts
Partner
8/10
Excellent
26 Aug 2018
John

Nice quiet location

Good location ,near to towns and sightseeing attractions eg Nat Trust Mount Stewart.
10/10
Exceptional
23 Aug 2018
Dek
A problem with Expedia. I booked 2 hotels 1 on the 21 st another on the 22 nd. But made an error and booked both on the 22 nd. Expedia did not catch the error. Fortunately the first hotel could accommodate us.
2/10
Poor
23 Aug 2018
John

Very nice B&B but no resturant

We booked this hotel because of the glowing reports of the restaurant we found online and that are still on Expedia. By chance a few days before we went I spotted that the restaurant was closed and they were only offering B&B. They booked us in for a meal at a not very nice pub about a mile away.

If I were to score then as a B&B I would give high marks. The room was clean, breakfast good and the owners very friendly but this is not what we booked.
10/10
Exceptional
19 Aug 2018
Pamela

Superb

Had a lovely stay. Avril and her staff were so friendly. The bedroom and en suite were very spacious and clean. The bed was so comfortable. The area was lovely and quiet.
Partner
10/10
Exceptional
17 Jun 2018
Judith

Comfortable stay

Very happy with our stay. Lovely big room, very comfortable bed, big Ensuite. Very good breakfast. Terry is a great host and gave us directions to an excellent hotel nearby for a great meal.
Partner
6/10
Pleasant
08 Jun 2018
Lindsay

Ok accommodation but room was below expectation

Room was possibly the worst in inn, others may be better. Small and with a difficult access especially with luggage.
Good breakfast, pleasant hosts. The adjacent restaurant was closed and other places in town were poor.
8/10
Excellent
26 May 2018
Jim
Nice stay with excellent hosts.
10/10
Exceptional
23 May 2018
Silvino

Wonderful service

Wonderful service coupled with a very well maintained place.
Would definitely stay there again!

Location & surroundings

The Old Schoolhouse Inn
100 Ballydrain Road Castle Espie, Newtownards, United Kingdom

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The Old Schoolhouse Inn

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