Tara Fort, just outside Portaferry, is a well-preserved circular earthwork believed to date back to early medieval times. Overlooking Strangford Lough, its elevated position may once have served a strategic purpose, though much of its history remains undocumented.

Beneath its southern slope is an old private residence, known locally as Widecombe’s House. While the origins of the name are unclear, it has featured prominently in local storytelling for over a century. The house was reportedly once occupied by a man named Jonathan Widecombe, described in oral accounts as a coastguard stationed in Portaferry. No official records confirm this, but the name has endured.

Later, a Captain Savage is said to have lived in the house. According to long-standing local tradition, he captained a ship called The Express, which was allegedly lost at sea in 1866 during a voyage from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco. Several crew members from Portaferry were reportedly on board. However, no shipping or maritime registry confirms the loss of such a vessel under that name or voyage, and the story remains part of oral lore.

The haunting tales associated with Widecombe’s House have persisted for decades. One of the most often repeated involves the narrow roadway between the house and a nearby tree. Even in dry weather, the surface here is frequently wet, and some locals claim it’s the spirit of the drowned captain returning home from the sea. A number of residents have also reported the eerie sound of coins clinking, as if someone were counting money late into the night.

There are also recurring stories of phantom diners. In the 1920s, a visiting sea captain reportedly walked past the house and saw a family gathered at the table eating dinner—only to be told later that the house had stood empty for some time. A later tenant described being woken by the sounds of plates being laid out, only to find the table mysteriously set. When the noise returned later that night, the table had been cleared. She eventually moved out due to the nightly disturbances.

Even in more recent years, when the house was used as a holiday home, strange reports continued. One family recalled how their two youngest children refused to sleep in a particular room, describing it as unnaturally cold and noisy.