Carrickfergus Cricket Club

Cricket might not be the first thing you think of when planning a Northern Ireland break, but Carrickfergus Cricket Club punches well above its weight. It's a proper working club with genuine local character - the kind of place where Saturday matches still matter and the tea tent actually knows what it's doing.

You'll find it in Mid and East Antrim, just outside Larne, and it's the sort of venue that rewards turning up without a rigid schedule. Summer weekends are when it comes alive. If you catch a home match, you get the full experience: the crack on the boundary, the smell of cut grass, maybe a decent pint afterwards in the clubhouse. Even without a match on, the ground itself has that timeless appeal of a community cricket pitch - proper manicured outfield, pavilion with history soaked into its timbers.

Families with young kids will get a kick out of it if there's action on, though you're looking at a good few hours commitment during a full match. Walkers and folks wanting something genuinely local rather than touristy will appreciate it more than casual visitors.

It pairs well with Down to Earth Wild Camping just four miles away if you're after a slower pace of life. Ring ahead to check match schedules - there's no point making the trip if nothing's on. Admission details are thin on the ground, so a quick call or message beforehand is wise. Small touch, but it's exactly these unglamorous local spots that often give you the best sense of how people actually live here.