Captain Francis Crozier: Historic home of legendary Banbridge explorer could be turned into guesthouse

The birthplace of a legendary Northern Ireland explorer could be turned into a 12-bedroom guesthouse if planning approval is granted.

Captain Francis Crozier is famous for his heroic attempt to find a Northwest Passage in Arctic Canada in 1845.

His birthplace, Avonmore House, is a distinctive listed building at 15 Church Square, Banbridge, currently housing office units.

The planning application is being lodged by Jonathan and Lynne McCabe, Listullycurran Road, Dromore. As the property is listed, planning consent will have to be sought as well.

The proposed layout for the ground floor and first floor. There would be two more floors with more bedrooms at Avonmore House, Banbridge, should planning permission be granted. Image: ABC planning portal

Sir John Franklin’s expedition to find a Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic became one of the best-known maritime mysteries of all time after the ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror disappeared without a trace in the summer of 1845.

HMS Erebus and HMS Terror became trapped in ice floes in September 1846 and were deserted in April 1848.

A note left by members of the expedition on King William Island, and found by explorers in 1859, revealed that Sir John Franklin died on June 11, 1847. After this date, Capt. Crozier was in charge of the 105 then surviving members of the mission – all of whom are ultimately thought to have perished.

HMS Terror, originally a Royal Navy warship, was built in 1813. The wreck of the vessel was discovered in Terror Bay in 2016. The wreck of HMS Erebus was located in 2014.