In Lewis's footsteps: the Guardian maps a very real Narnia in Northern Ireland
A Guardian travel feature traces how C.S. Lewis's childhood landscapes, from Belfast to the Mourne Mountains, fed into Narnia.
Graham Little's piece, published on 27 October in the Guardian's travel section, begins in east Belfast, where Lewis was born in 1898. He visits the square named after him and its bronze sculptures, and St Mark's church, where Lewis's grandfather was rector; the rectory door bore a lion-head knocker that young Lewis may have known, and an exact replica still draws visitors. He passes the gates of Little Lea, the family home, which stays private.
The most striking stop is further south, above Rostrevor. Lewis reportedly told his brother that the view over Carlingford Lough was his idea of Narnia, and that line is now painted on a bench in Kilbroney forest park.
On the north coast, the debate continues over whether Cair Paravel owes more to Dunluce Castle or to Mussenden Temple. These links are local tradition rather than settled fact, but the piece makes a fine route for anyone who wants to walk in the author's footsteps before the film arrives.
See also
- C.S. Lewis, from Belfast to Oxford (1898-1931)
- From Belfast to the Wardrobe: Jack's life in ten riddles
Sources
- The Guardian, Graham Little, "'The view from the Mournes was CS Lewis's idea of Narnia': how Northern Ireland inspired a magical kingdom", travel feature, 27 October 2026.