Tollymore Forest Park

Tollymore Forest Park lies near Newcastle in County Down at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. At almost 630 hectares, it became Northern Ireland’s first state forest park in 1955. The Shimna River runs through the woods and is crossed by 16 bridges; the oldest, the Old Bridge, dates from 1726. There are also follies from the time of the Earls of Clanbrassil, such as Gothic gate arches, an obelisk, the Clanbrassil Barn (about 1757) and the Hermitage, a stone chamber by the river that the 2nd Earl had built in memory of a friend. The arboretum was begun in 1752.

Four waymarked trails start from the main car park: the Arboretum Path (about 0.8 km), the Rivers Trail (about 5 km, passing the Hermitage and Parnell’s Bridge), the Mountain Trail (about 9 km) and the Drinns extension (about 5 km extra). The park is open all year, although short closures are possible in severe weather. Newcastle is about five minutes away by car. If you walk quietly along the river, you may see otters, dippers and kingfishers.