Mar 2007
Site Updated
Saturday March 2007 05:19 PM
Happy St
Patrick's Day! I finally managed to get the site
up-to-date, so there are some new photographs in
the Photo Album
courtesy
of Jack (who's rapidly becoming the site's
official photographer!). There's some information
about our next hike on March 25th to The Giant's
Causeway on the Calendar
Page, and
there's some new information about our group
insurance fees and complaints procedures on
the Membership Page
for
those of you who regularly attend our walks.
Lastly, if you scroll down a few lines you'll see
a new Glenariff walk report by Colin.
Sadly, I'm not aware if anybody took photos during our Woodburn / Knockagh hike last month - if you did, send me a few JPGs and I'll put them online.
Sadly, I'm not aware if anybody took photos during our Woodburn / Knockagh hike last month - if you did, send me a few JPGs and I'll put them online.
Glenariff Forest Park - 28/01/07
Saturday March 2007 01:29 PM
Thanks
again to Colin who kindly provided the following walk
report…
"Sunday 28th Jan was kinder to us than of late: mild and dry though cloudy with the threat of rain later.
16 of us met at the old Tea House (Now Manor House Restaurant) at the bottom of the Glenariff Forest Park to start our walk up the Glenariff River to the waterfall. The river was in exhuberant form, and we paused at the bottom of the great waterfall to take in the torrent of water coming down it. We continued our journey up the side of the glen to the main carpark and down to the banks of the other river, the Inver, via the remnants of the gardens belonging to the Dobbs family, the former local squires.
On reaching the river we followed its course towards the top of the forest, conjecturing on our way that the great mounds of soil and rock were the spoil heaps from the failed iron ore mining of the 1870's. We crossed the river to walk along the other side of the glen, pausing for lunch on a sheltered grassy bank high above the glen. On descending to the Inver again, we found the bed of the old mineral railway which had transported the ore to the jetty on the coast at Waterfoot.
We were soon back at the cars, but disappointed that the Manor House was closed. This had been built as refreshment rooms by a railway company over 100 years ago. The narrow gauge railway from Ballymena to the head of the glen first transported iron ore from other mines, and when the mines closed like the ones near the Inver in the late 1870's, the railway was then used til the beginning of the First World War to transport tourists to and from the glen, hence the need for the refreshment rooms.
The search was now on for a suitable watering hole for the thirsty walkers; we ended up having a very pleasant drink in a pub at Cushendall. We had a most enjoyable day. Thanks to David for organising it!"
"Sunday 28th Jan was kinder to us than of late: mild and dry though cloudy with the threat of rain later.
16 of us met at the old Tea House (Now Manor House Restaurant) at the bottom of the Glenariff Forest Park to start our walk up the Glenariff River to the waterfall. The river was in exhuberant form, and we paused at the bottom of the great waterfall to take in the torrent of water coming down it. We continued our journey up the side of the glen to the main carpark and down to the banks of the other river, the Inver, via the remnants of the gardens belonging to the Dobbs family, the former local squires.
On reaching the river we followed its course towards the top of the forest, conjecturing on our way that the great mounds of soil and rock were the spoil heaps from the failed iron ore mining of the 1870's. We crossed the river to walk along the other side of the glen, pausing for lunch on a sheltered grassy bank high above the glen. On descending to the Inver again, we found the bed of the old mineral railway which had transported the ore to the jetty on the coast at Waterfoot.
We were soon back at the cars, but disappointed that the Manor House was closed. This had been built as refreshment rooms by a railway company over 100 years ago. The narrow gauge railway from Ballymena to the head of the glen first transported iron ore from other mines, and when the mines closed like the ones near the Inver in the late 1870's, the railway was then used til the beginning of the First World War to transport tourists to and from the glen, hence the need for the refreshment rooms.
The search was now on for a suitable watering hole for the thirsty walkers; we ended up having a very pleasant drink in a pub at Cushendall. We had a most enjoyable day. Thanks to David for organising it!"