Gray's Printing Press

Behind an 18th-century shop front on Main Street in Strabane, once the famous printing town of Ulster, Gray's Printing Press preserves a printer's workshop first listed as a press in the mid-18th century and, by the Trust's account, the last one standing of the town's 12 presses. The Trust admits taking a liberty in claiming John Dunlap, the Strabane apprentice who joined his uncle in Philadelphia and whose office printed the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, the 200 copies now known as the Dunlap Broadside. On show is a collection of 19th-century hand presses: a decorative Columbian with a large eagle as its counterweight, an Albion and a fast platen press of the 'Minerva' type. The Trust's only property in West Tyrone, it is seen on pre-arranged guided tours led by local volunteers, and reviewers call it well worth a visit. The exhibit is on the first floor, reached only by a stairway, and only assistance dogs are admitted. One tip from visitors: it opens infrequently, so contact the Trust before travelling.