C S Lewis Centenary Group
The C S Lewis Trail in Belfast and North Down
The C S Lewis Trail now leads us to the nearby countryside of North Down, which Lewis loved so well, 'Heaven', he declared, 'is Oxford lifted and placed in the middle of County Down'. [We thank Rt Hon David Bleakley for permission to use this quotation, taken from his autobiography 'Peace in Ireland' (1995)]
Lewis sometimes took his summer holidays in Ireland, spending time with his friend, Arthur Greeves (see Bernagh). Arthur would drive Lewis from place to place (Lewis did not drive), and they would often motor to stay in other parts of the north of Ireland.
Lewis's friendship with Arthur was deep. On his deathbed in 1963, C S Lewis would write the moving words: 'Oh, Arthur, never to see you again!'.
In 1949, Arthur moved to SILVER HILL, CRAWFORDSBURN.
Silver Hill
[Photo courtesy of Charles Bateman Photography]
After 1949, Jack would usually spend the first week of his summer holidays at the OLD INN, CRAWFORDSBURN, a few minutes walk from Silver Hill.
C S Lewis's love for the American writer, Joy Davidman, is well known through the feature film 'Shadowlands'. Anthony Hopkins played Jack, and Debra Winger played Joy.
Jack and Joy
[Photo courtesy of Mr Douglas Gresham]
In 1958 Jack brought Joy, his new bride, to spend a belated honeymoon at the Old Inn. The couple stayed for a week and Jack hosted a dinner for Joy to meet his friends and relatives. Jack and Joy returned to Crawfordsburn in 1959.
While in Crawfordsburn, Jack would worship nearby at St John's, Helen's Bay.
St John's, Helens Bay
[Photo courtesy of Charles Bateman Photography]
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