Nov 2007
November hike to Tollymore Forest Park
Tuesday November 2007 09:13 PM
Thanks for
this, Colin:
"Fourteen of us gathered at Tollymore Forest Park during a welcome lull in the bad weather on Sunday 18th November for the first of our "winter warmer" walks, easier, low altitude and more appealing to those who wish to stroll. The colours were spectacular; it will be my abiding memory of this walk. Lovely vivid fallen leaves, pine needles below our feet and the vivid green of mosses!
Tollymore has variety. We started off along the Shimna River, at its most picturesque here as it flows through the Roden's former demesne, through the Hermitage built by the Clanbrassils to house an imaginary hermit, past the stepping stones to the Meeting of the Waters and beyond to Parnell's Bridge (Parnell was a friend of the family). We then walked to the western end of the estate to view the river flowing trough a gorge far below us, doubling back to find a place for lunch. For a while we stayed outside the demesne, finding suitable perches on the stone in front of the abandoned (?) white cottage at the foot of Lukes Mountain. This was lunch time, and time for Jack to test out his new camera, and what lovely photographs he has taken with it too! Among the autumn folliage at the foot of the mountains were great fronds of golden and bronzed bracken. Lunch over, refuelled and ready to climb to Currahard to view the mountains behind and Newcastle its hinterland below. On reaching the Shimna again, we crossed Foley's Bridge, a unique narrow bridge just wide enough to accommodate horses and then back to the car park. Time to reward ourselves, which all of did by repairing to the Percy French in Newcastle for a drink.
It had stayed dry, and pleasant, but on leaving the pub, the rain was already down for the evening!"
"Fourteen of us gathered at Tollymore Forest Park during a welcome lull in the bad weather on Sunday 18th November for the first of our "winter warmer" walks, easier, low altitude and more appealing to those who wish to stroll. The colours were spectacular; it will be my abiding memory of this walk. Lovely vivid fallen leaves, pine needles below our feet and the vivid green of mosses!
Tollymore has variety. We started off along the Shimna River, at its most picturesque here as it flows through the Roden's former demesne, through the Hermitage built by the Clanbrassils to house an imaginary hermit, past the stepping stones to the Meeting of the Waters and beyond to Parnell's Bridge (Parnell was a friend of the family). We then walked to the western end of the estate to view the river flowing trough a gorge far below us, doubling back to find a place for lunch. For a while we stayed outside the demesne, finding suitable perches on the stone in front of the abandoned (?) white cottage at the foot of Lukes Mountain. This was lunch time, and time for Jack to test out his new camera, and what lovely photographs he has taken with it too! Among the autumn folliage at the foot of the mountains were great fronds of golden and bronzed bracken. Lunch over, refuelled and ready to climb to Currahard to view the mountains behind and Newcastle its hinterland below. On reaching the Shimna again, we crossed Foley's Bridge, a unique narrow bridge just wide enough to accommodate horses and then back to the car park. Time to reward ourselves, which all of did by repairing to the Percy French in Newcastle for a drink.
It had stayed dry, and pleasant, but on leaving the pub, the rain was already down for the evening!"
Ian's Finger Still firmly in Place
Wednesday November 2007 11:23 PM
Okay, so I'm
a lazy gobshite! I'll do my best to get the gallery
updated soon...