Arch House - Florencecourt

Arch House, Florencecourt, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh

Theme(s): Food & Walking

The address alone will give you a good indication as to the spectacular attractions adjacent to Arch House such as Marble Arch & Florencecourt.  In fact, though a tad more modern than its neighbours’, Arch House fancies itself as a bit of an attraction in its own right and deservedly so!!  This imposing building, situated on a 400 acre beef farm which  with its own Restaurant and a large children’s play area has merited many awards and accolades since the doors opened to welcome guests more than 20 years ago.   Arch House is currently the only Guesthouse in Northern Ireland with the EU Flower Eco-Label, which means they make every effort to work towards protecting the environment on a day to day basis.

The  Enniskillen area is abundant with well known places to visit; the previously mentioned  Florencecourt House, Marble Arch Caves, Devenish Island, Arch House, Ulster American Folk Park, Cladagh Glen, Belleek Pottery.  You see, there it is again and what exactly justifies its inclusion in this well known list?  Rosemary Armstrong is the reason.  She is constantly striving to improve all aspects of being a hostess with a view to looking after her no. 1 priority, you the guest.  (Husband Geoffrey may argue this point!!)

With an in-house licensed Restaurant that is for residents or prebooked visiting groups to the area, Rosemary will be your head-chef this evening!   Be sure not to fill up on bread before hand, oaten, wheaten, treacle or sundried tomato, that won’t be easy!!  Specialties on the menu are the local home boiled gammon or the Lough Erne Trout and when available vegetables grown by Rosemary’s Dad.  So you know the food is good, Arch House is a member of ‘Taste of Ulster’ since 1998 which is a guide to the best places to eat in Northern Ireland.  As a constant reminder of just how good the fare is at Arch House, there are tea/coffee facilities in the lounge with a selection of home bakes all day for guests and Rosemary always has a selection of her own jams, chutneys and breads available for purchase.  She also does Bread Making demonstrations for groups.  As an alternative why not try Nevin McGuire’s famous restaurant, Mac Neans Bistro, located only a couple of miles away in Florencecourt.

One would imagine that most of Rosemary’s time is spent in the kitchen at Arch House. But don’t be fooled, how else do you think that she knows so much about the surrounding area and its facilities, she’s visited them all so that she can relay the best bits first hand to her guests.  To top it all, Rosemary is a walking guide, she loves to get out for a walk every day and has covered many of the 25 walks as included in the ‘Find Fermanagh’ walking programme and she is happy to recommend shorter walks for the novice like Castle Archdale Forest and longer more difficult walks for those who enjoy a challenge such as Conagher Forest.  The scenery will only be interrupted by the melt in the mouth gammon sandwiches in your packed lunch which Rosemary sent you off with this morning along with your map and weather forecast!!

Though Rosemary likes to be busy she knows she can’t do every thing, so she enlists members of the family to tend the grounds and gardens and her eldest son works the farm with her husband Geoffrey.  When not creating great food or walking, she could be on a trip with the ‘Women in Agriculture’ group of which she is a member and she has been known to star the odd TV programme about farming in Ulster.  She likes to crochet in her spare time!!!!!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR SEPTEMBER

BOOK THIS BED AND BREAKFAST IN SEPTEMBER FOR 3 NIGHTS B&B PLUS A DINNER EACH EVENING FOR ONLY £141.00 PPS. CONTACT THE B&B DIRECTLY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.