Built around 1619 by Sir Baptist Jones, Bellaghy Bawn is a fortified house and bawn (the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house). What exists today is a mix of various building styles from different periods with the main house lived in until 1987. Seamus Heaney is a local Nobel Laureate and Bellaghy Bawn, which was opened to the public in 1996, has resources on site including a film made for the bawn as well as a collection of his broadcasts. There are also exhibitions on local natural history, local history and Seamus Heaney’s poetry. Wheelchair access is limited. No unaccompanied children under the age of 16.