Popular shepherd hut is demolished by storm

A popular and charming attraction in Co Down has been destroyed after Storm Eleanor wreaked havoc across the Province.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Jan 2018, 15:30 BST
Updated 4th Jan 2018, 15:32 BST
The scene at Mount Stewart after a tree fell overnight due to Storm Eleanor with after winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour have caused flooding, damage to buildings and travel disruption across Northern Ireland. Andrew Upton and Barry Kelly from National Trust Mount Stewart standing inside the Shepherds hut that was destroyed Picture by Matt Mackey / Presseye.comThe scene at Mount Stewart after a tree fell overnight due to Storm Eleanor with after winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour have caused flooding, damage to buildings and travel disruption across Northern Ireland. Andrew Upton and Barry Kelly from National Trust Mount Stewart standing inside the Shepherds hut that was destroyed Picture by Matt Mackey / Presseye.com
The scene at Mount Stewart after a tree fell overnight due to Storm Eleanor with after winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour have caused flooding, damage to buildings and travel disruption across Northern Ireland. Andrew Upton and Barry Kelly from National Trust Mount Stewart standing inside the Shepherds hut that was destroyed Picture by Matt Mackey / Presseye.com

Heavy rain and gusts of up to 90mph swept across the UK overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday evening, bringing down trees and power lines.

One of the casualties of the storm was a unique blue shepherd hut, located in the grounds of Mount Stewart’s National Trust property on the Ards peninsula, which had proven very popular with visitors.

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The shelter, which was used by staff at the venue, was crushed under a large tree that toppled during the high winds on Wednesday.

The scene at Mount StewartThe scene at Mount Stewart
The scene at Mount Stewart

A spokesperson at Mount Stewart said: “Unfortunately our much loved shepherd hut took a hit in the storm last night. We know that this was a very popular feature and we are very sad to see this happen.”

Visitors expressed their sadness at the loss of the feature on Facebook, with one stating: “I love the shepherd hut and the staff that ‘camp’ out in it. Hopefully it will be all fixed up soon.”

At the height of the storm, over 25,000 properties in NI lost their electricity supply.

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Yesterday morning, NIE said that around 200 homes and businesses in the south and east were still without power. They added that all repair teams would be working into night to ensure all customers have power restored.

Andrew Upton and Barry Kelly from National Trust Mount Stewart standing inside the Shepherds hut that was destroyed Picture by Matt Mackey / Presseye.comAndrew Upton and Barry Kelly from National Trust Mount Stewart standing inside the Shepherds hut that was destroyed Picture by Matt Mackey / Presseye.com
Andrew Upton and Barry Kelly from National Trust Mount Stewart standing inside the Shepherds hut that was destroyed Picture by Matt Mackey / Presseye.com

Forecasters warned that more severe weather is on the way, with a cold snap this weekend bringing plummeting temperatures and widespread frost.

Eleanor is the third storm to hit the UK in the past month, preceded by Dylan and Caroline in December.

However, the Met Office yesterday told the News Letter that the rainfall recorded in NI during December 2017 was 107mm; just below the average expected for that time of year (114mm).

In comparison, 220mm of rain – almost double the average amount – fell during December 2015.

Related topics:ProvinceNational TrustFacebook