Woolly says – With the sun attempting to come out but the wind having a bit too much puff I was glad to get to our first destination of the day and get inside.

HM Prison Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast. since 1996 it is the only remaining Victorian era former prison in Northern Ireland and is colloquially known as the Crum.

The building was stunning to look at which is why it had been given a grade A listed building status. Designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, the prison was built between 1843 and 1845 and cost £60,000. Built as a replacement for the County Gaol on Antrim Street in Carrick-fergus, and known as the County Gaol for Antrim, it was constructed of black basalt rock on ten acres at the bottom of the Crumlin Road. Partly based on HM Prison Pentonville, it was one of the most advanced prisons of its day. Built within a five-sided wall, the four wings are up to four storeys in height and fan off from the central area which was known as The Circle. The prison was originally built to hold between 500 and 550 prisoners in cells that measured 12 × 7 feet, (365 cm x 213 cm).

As we entered the main doorway a loud booming voice told us to get in and sit down, we obeyed immediately to find ourselves sat in front of a judge who sentenced us within minutes, I have to admit to feeling a bit terrified. As the judge told us to head towards the cells, I scurried off as fast as I could fearing to anger him more. Rounding a corner another voice called us and we did exactly that, he wanted us to go down the tunnel, I would have gone down a mine at this point so although dark and imposing we did just that.

The tunnel had once led under the road to the Courthouse so that prisoners could be moved back and forth without fear of escape, I didn’t much fancy going any further so headed back up the steps and into the prison area itself. An old cell door was on display which I left the women admiring as I headed into the centre of the wings.

It was stunning with its wrought iron staircases and balconies.

Heading into C block there was plenty of time to take in the cells as each one gave information on the officer who had used it or the different era’s the prison had been in existence for, there was lots of videos to explain more fully.

The Goal had not only housed men but women and children from the age of 7.

One cell gave information on the executions that had taken place there and showed us a punishment cell.

I found the wing kitchen and the toilet block as well as a cell with its walls covered in graffiti and artwork.

Arriving in the condemned man’s cell a video told us how this had worked with the person due to be put to death having had his breakfast and said prayers a bookcase would have moved to open up the scaffold where their head was covered and the noose put round their neck before the trap door below opened.

I was quite glad when this was over and hurried outside to the exercise yard which also allowed us to admire the splendid building a bit more. A small stretch out grass to ne side was where the unmarked graves of the executed were buried.

We walked down a slope to find a small corner tower which is where the matron of the prison had lived, she looked rather stern and would probably give you horrible medicine.

Arriving back outside we took a moment to look at the former Court House building across the road, which is here the tunnel would have led, sadly having been burnt down three times to date there were no plans to renovate it.

We set off along the roads to the Falls area of the city and its peace lines and peace walls. The peace lines or peace walls are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate predominantly Irish republican or nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods from predominantly British loyalist or unionist Protestant neighbourhoods.

Initially built as temporary structures, but due to their effectiveness they become wider, longer, more numerous and more permanent. Originally few in number, they have multiplied over the years, from 18 in the early 1990s to at least 59 as of late 2017; in total they stretch over 34 kilometres (21 miles), with most located in Belfast. They have been increased in both height and number since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. 67% of deaths during the sectarian violence occurred within 500 metres (550 yd) of them.

Now many of them are painted with murals providing messages of hope and supporting parties of both denominations.

Along these walls were a number of security gates which looked quite imposing, they were once manned by the British Army and were closed at night to stop trouble erupting, sadly this is still needed at times today.

Slightly further on we found a memorial to Hunger Striker Bobby Sands and to those that had had died for the IRA.

Leaving the Falls behind us we walked back into the centre of the city which was super busy and filled with university students. With only two stops to go I wasn’t sure if I would make it let alone Jo and Zoe but twenty minutes later, we arrived at city hall.

Belfast City Hall is the civic building, commissioned to replace the Old Town Hall the change came in 1888 when Belfast was awarded city status by Queen Victoria. This was in recognition of Belfast’s rapid expansion and thriving linen, ropemaking, shipbuilding and engineering industries. The building was designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style and was built in Portland stone at a cost of £369,000 and opening on 1st August 1906.

The building was magnificent and got better the closer you got to it. We took a quick peek inside not having the energy to do a full guided tour of it, this did mean that we could admire the incredible dome with its carvings and arches as well as a few of its stained glass windows.

With another ten minute walk to the Cathedral, we all stood for a few minutes to take in the Albert Memorial Clock, a historic 19th-century landmark located in Queen’s Square. Completed in 1869 (started around 1865) to honour Queen Victoria’s late husband, Prince Albert, it is known as the “Leaning Tower”: Often called Belfast’s version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it tilts about 4 feet off the vertical axis because it was built on marshy, reclaimed land over wooden piles that shifted under its immense weight.

Knowing we still needed to keep going we moved our weary feet and plodded onwards finally arriving at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, constructed in the 1860s. It looked quite sweet from the outside.

Entering and paying we all around to find a fairly plain place of worship (yes, I know we are spoilt in what we get to see), there were some lovely mosaic features and a huge wooden ceiling way above us.

A lovely tapestry dedicated to the Titanic was on one wall featuring a sea blue background to represent the sea and loads of silver crosses, one for each person lost.

The altar was fairly plain, but it did have some nice stained glass behind it, it was at this moment that the organ struck up, and my ears couldn’t cope with the resulting noise. I don’t have anything against organ music, but this was off key and was loud enough to wake the dead.

Stumbling outside we were exhausted, only thing to do was to grab a taxi and had back to the digs, tomorrow we moved onto our next place which was exciting for us all.