A historic Northern Ireland estate will open its doors to the public this autumn, creating 70 new jobs.
Montalto Estate will welcome visitors for the first time, creating 30 new full and part-time jobs in the tourism sector as well as employing 40 construction workers.
Located in County Down, the rural estate is minutes away from the centre of Ballynahinch and was built circa 1765 by the Earl of Moira.
Purchased by the Wilson family in 1995, the manor house was originally used as an exclusive venue to host business clients but in 2012 expanded into ‘The Carriage Rooms’, a luxury wedding venue.
The family, who run a range of businesses in Northern Ireland, decided that branching into tourism would support the sustainability of the estate.
The grounds have recently been renovated to include a welcome area, a 120-seat cafe and a shop that will sell local produce and crafts.
The Montalto Estate visitor experience will include public access to the estate’s gardens, historic walking trails and a play area where children can have fun, explore, and learn about their natural surroundings.
David Wilson, managing director of Montalto Estate, said: “We are delighted and excited to be opening Montalto Estate to the public.
“This investment is part of our ongoing business growth strategy which includes the award-winning ‘The Carriage Rooms’ at Montalto wedding and conference venue.
“Our aim is to provide a top class visitor attraction which will not only add to the existing Northern Ireland visitor experience but which will encourage visitors into the region.”
Supporting the opening of the grounds John McGrillen, chief executive for Tourism NI, said: “We welcome this investment in Montalto Estate and are delighted to see this new addition to our long list of unique and high-quality visitor attractions.
“2017 was another record year for tourism as we welcomed almost five million visitors to Northern Ireland.
“Attractions such as Montalto Estate which enable visitors to connect with the culture, heritage and landscape of Northern Ireland are key to ensuring our continued success in attracting visitors to the region.”