Walk in the Whyte Estate, Loughbrickland

Distance:

2.5 miles

Start Point:

J104425

Finish Point:

J104425

Point of interest:

Coolnacran Fort & Johnston's Fort. Bluebells in spring.

Nearest town:

Loughbrickland

Getting to the start:

The walk starts at the entrance to the Whyte Estate (Loughrickland House) at the junction of Scarva Street and the Old Newry Road, Loughbrickland. Please park with due care and consideration along Scarva Street - no parking within the estate. Walk through the gates onto the avenue and stop and look for the interpretative board on the left with a map of the route (or see publication below). The walk actually starts to the right of the avenue, just past the replacement Gate Lodge built by the owner of the estate in 2008, you will see a wooden fingerpost here indicating the start of the walk.

OS map:

Sheet 20

Terrain:

Woodland trail & green lane

Route:

This walk is located within a privately owned estate.

For a period of approx. 6 months from August 2008 major road works will be taking place at A1 Dual Carriageway at Loughbrickland to create a grade separated junction.

Public access is welcome but along the waymarked trails and on foot only.

Walk along the avenue for a short distance passing the gatelodge on the right and look out for a wooden fingerpost on the left indicating the start of walk to the right of the avenue, just beyond the gatelodge. This section of the route runs parallel to the Old Newry Road or Old Bann Road as it is known locally.

It wends it way through woodland, with glimpses of the parkland to the left. The surface can be uneven, look out for the sections of concrete - vestiges of an army training camp of up to 2000 troops which was based here during World War II - see if you can find other evidence of this use along the trail.

You may see large, black targets along the woodland trail. Ballyvally Archery Club use the wood as its outdoor range. They hold competitons here at various times during the year and on competition days the woodland walk will be closed. The Archery Club post notices at the entrance. At the junction of the path - ignore the entrance to the Boundary Trail for now and follow the Woodland Trail up the hill, through the ash planatation, and climb 2 sets of steps to Coolnacran Fort.

Just beyond the steps you will be passing the original entrance to the fort on the eastern downhill side of the a drumlin - typical of this rolling County Down countryside. The current entrance to the fort is further along, near the interpretative board. With its peaceful location surrounded by trees Coolnacran Fort has an almost mystical feel. Colloquially known as 'Forts' archaeologists refer to these ancient earthworks as 'ringforts'. Thought to have been constructed between the 7th and 12th centuries AD - around 1000 years ago - ringforts were early enclosed farmsteads. Coolnacran has two concentric rings and ditches which indicates that the owners were wealthy and might have been local nobility.

As part of the first phase of the Historic Trail project in 2000/01 the local community group assisted the Council in the clearance of years of laurel overgrowth of this fort revealing its massive banks and ditches. A new interpretative board at the fort includes an illustration of how the fort might have looked soon after its construction.

Take time to explore the interior of the fort before following the yellow way mark posts out of the wood to an avenue and turn left and walk towards a set of gates. Go through the gate, closing it behind you and turn right onto the back avenue, away from the house and gardens which are strictly private.

You may see grey squirrels scampering from tree to tree here and hear the call of the rooks in spring, to the left of the avenue is part of a large rookery in the estate. Walk towards the Coolnacran Road gates at the back entrance to the estate (absolutely no parking or access to cars here). There is a choice of routes here with the turn to the left (waymarked yellow) completing the Woodland Trail and leading back to the Scarva Street entrance. The path to the right is the Boundary Trail and follows an old ride that runs around the perimeter of the estate.

The wide, tree lined lane that forms the Boundary Trail is an old 'ride' - a path made specially for use by the owners of the house and their guests for riding and exercising horses. Over the years this fell into disuse and much of it was impassable. In 2008, with the kind agreement of the owner of the estate, Dr. Jean Whyte, Banbridge District Council with assistance from Heritage Lottery Funding and with help with work on the ground from Probation Service for NI Community Service, brought the ride back into use as the 'Boundary Trail' walk.

This section of the trail follows a green lane and the surface can be uneven, wet and muddy with rough crossing places, steps and gates. The species-rich hedgerow of the Boundary Trail contains a variety of trees and shrubs including hawthorn, ash, elder, horse chestnut, beech, oak, holly, elder and dogrose.

From March to May the shining golden stars of lesser celandine appear along the damper sections of the trail next to the Coolnacran Road and in drier areas primroses appear along the hedgerow bank. The ride was a very useful and visible way for the owners of the estate to demarcate the boundary to those on the outside while also allowing the owner to display his estate to its best advantage to visitors.

As you approach the fort you will see the 'Boundary Trail' interpretative board to the right. The trail leads to a ringfort locally known as Johnston's Fort which affords beautiful views down to Loughbrickland village and across the fields to the much larger Coolnacran Rath to the south west. The fort marks the mid-way point of the Boundary Trail. Steps have to be climbed to enter and leave the fort. On leaving Johnston's Fort the trail drops down to run parallel with the Old Newry Road.

As part of the project to create the walk a new native hedgerow was planted on the field side of the two fields where, generations previously, the hedgerow has been removed. As the trail re-enters the woodland stay on the upper path and look out for the veteran oak on the left estimated from its girth to be about 350 years old.

Big, old trees such as this, with their holes and crevices, provide sites for roosting bats and hole nesting birds such as blue tits, kestrels and mistle thrushes and can host up to 250 different species of insects. On rejoining the Woodland Trail retrace your steps to Coolnacran Fort and follow the waymarkers to the back gates of the Estate. Take the Woodland Trail to the left and follow the waymarked path to return to the starting point.

No bicycles, motor vehicles, or horseriding is permitted. Strictly no access to the house, outbuildings or gardens. No parking within the estate.

Dogs on leads please and clean up after your dog. Please bring your litter home.

Facilities:

Basic toilets in Loughbrickland Park, off the Poyntzpass Road in the village, approx. 0.5 mile from start of walk. Shops, garage and cafe in village.

Accessible terrain:

Woodland and greenlane. Uneven sufaces, rough uneven surfacs, rough crossing areas. Numerous 'Kissing' gates and rambler stiles along route. Steps at various points along route. Incline towards Coolnacran Fort and Johnston's Fort.

Accessible signage:

Interpretative board near start of walk with map. Waymarked trail.

Publication:

See pdf 'Walk in the Whyte Estate' attached - extract from the Loughbrickland Historic Trail

Publication availability:

Full trail guide available free of charge at various outlets in the village, including the Centra Store. Also available from Banbridge Tourist Information Centre t. 028 4062 9054