Pride Walk Report- Sunday 26th July 2009: Lagan Valley and the Giants Ring
Monday August 2009 09:42 PM
It was with
some relief that a wet morning had given way to a warm
and mostly sunny afternoon for our annual Pride walk.
This time we were walking in aid of Diabetes UK and the
Belfast Volunteer Group in support of the charity
chaired by Clara Adams, Brian’s mum had provided
lunch for us 20 minutes into our walk.
20 of us, soon to be joined by Claire of the Pride Committee, set off from Malone House, past Shaw’s Bridge into Clement Wilson Park and along the Burmah Road to reach New Forge and the offices of Diabetes UK for a lovely lunch provided by Mrs Adams and her volunteers. Many of their volunteers and their families joined us in the lunch preceded by a few words of welcome from Mrs Adams and thanks from Colin, our secretary. Everyone was so comfortable that it was hard to call “time”! The sun was out and after a group photograph, we walked over the Lagan to the Lock Keeper’s Cottage and Lock No3 which is in the process of restoration. Following a short section of the old disused canal, we soon reached Shaw’s Bridge, continuing by the side of the river to cross the Minnowburn. A new path has been opened which enables walkers to access the secret garden of the Robinsons (Robinson & Cleaver) not far from the house they built at Terrace Hill. This garden became “detached”, maybe “lost” at some stage, and the National Trust have taken it over and replanted it. The view from here is lovely with Malone House and The Weir, another house belonging to a linen baron, in the mid distance and the Belfast Hills in the distance: another photo opportunity among many that day. There were pleas to tarry a little longer! We were soon descending “Freddy’s Steps”, constructed by Fred Russell, a mill owner and owner of the previous house on the site of the present one.
As we walked through Minnowburn Wood, the sky was getting darker, and sure enough, the rain came down, but only for a short time, thus permitting us to walk along various rights of way to reach the Giants Ring. This was a sheltered spot for our picnic, and with the sun out, no-one was in a rush to move on, and David was heard to snore!
We retraced our steps to walk over the fields to the mill village of Edenderry, now a fashionable and convenient place to live. The mill has gone and so has the mill owner’s great mansion to be replaced by modern housing.
We soon reached the Gilchrist Bridge, named in honour of the first Chairman of the Lagan Valley Regional Park, and for the first time walked along the tow path on the other side of the river, veering off to join the path up to the Mary Peter’s Track, and Barnetts Park.
It had been a very enjoyable walk with £365 raised for this year’s good cause, Diabetes UK.
Thanks to Brian for the idea, and for the opportunity to put our feet to a profitable cause!
Thanks to all our sponsors and to our walkers for making this such a successful Pride event!
20 of us, soon to be joined by Claire of the Pride Committee, set off from Malone House, past Shaw’s Bridge into Clement Wilson Park and along the Burmah Road to reach New Forge and the offices of Diabetes UK for a lovely lunch provided by Mrs Adams and her volunteers. Many of their volunteers and their families joined us in the lunch preceded by a few words of welcome from Mrs Adams and thanks from Colin, our secretary. Everyone was so comfortable that it was hard to call “time”! The sun was out and after a group photograph, we walked over the Lagan to the Lock Keeper’s Cottage and Lock No3 which is in the process of restoration. Following a short section of the old disused canal, we soon reached Shaw’s Bridge, continuing by the side of the river to cross the Minnowburn. A new path has been opened which enables walkers to access the secret garden of the Robinsons (Robinson & Cleaver) not far from the house they built at Terrace Hill. This garden became “detached”, maybe “lost” at some stage, and the National Trust have taken it over and replanted it. The view from here is lovely with Malone House and The Weir, another house belonging to a linen baron, in the mid distance and the Belfast Hills in the distance: another photo opportunity among many that day. There were pleas to tarry a little longer! We were soon descending “Freddy’s Steps”, constructed by Fred Russell, a mill owner and owner of the previous house on the site of the present one.
As we walked through Minnowburn Wood, the sky was getting darker, and sure enough, the rain came down, but only for a short time, thus permitting us to walk along various rights of way to reach the Giants Ring. This was a sheltered spot for our picnic, and with the sun out, no-one was in a rush to move on, and David was heard to snore!
We retraced our steps to walk over the fields to the mill village of Edenderry, now a fashionable and convenient place to live. The mill has gone and so has the mill owner’s great mansion to be replaced by modern housing.
We soon reached the Gilchrist Bridge, named in honour of the first Chairman of the Lagan Valley Regional Park, and for the first time walked along the tow path on the other side of the river, veering off to join the path up to the Mary Peter’s Track, and Barnetts Park.
It had been a very enjoyable walk with £365 raised for this year’s good cause, Diabetes UK.
Thanks to Brian for the idea, and for the opportunity to put our feet to a profitable cause!
Thanks to all our sponsors and to our walkers for making this such a successful Pride event!
“Now you see them, now you don’t”
Sunday July 2009 02:15 PM
Walk
Report – Sun 28th
Jun 2009.
Commedagh and the Castles
After all the promises of peerless skies, the day, though warm and humid, began with low cloud, shrouding even the forest at Donard Park. I’m always on the lookout when I reach Temple, for there one gets the first glimpse of the Mournes; on this day there was no sign of them!
11 of us gathered at Donard Park to start the ascent to the Saddle through Donard Park along the side of the Glen River. It seemed to take very little time to reach the Saddle through a thick mist with the occasional period of drizzle. Once up at the Saddle, the day started to get brighter, and our lunch break there meant that once we were ready to start walking again, we had made up our minds to take advantage of the improving conditions to do the longer planned walk along the Brandy Pad below the Commedagh Castles to reach the Devil’s Coachroad on Slieve Beg. A debate between David and Ian on whether to descend the Coachroad, ended with a decision not to, wise in view of the slippery conditions.
The conditions were improving all the while; one minute you would see the Castles, the next minute not! The tors on Bearnagh would suddenly appear unexpectantly and just as quickly disappear again.
Soon we were climbing Commedagh to get a view of the Castles from above, having already viewed them from below on our way along the Brandy Pad. This is an easy mountain to climb, a good 400ft lower than Donard with gentler slopes. From the Saddle, it can be climbed within 20 minutes, but we were rather circumnavigating it. Once at the top, some of us went down to the spring just below the summit to refill bottles with clear cold water. After a break, we were off over the wall beside the summit hut to walk the short distance to the real summit, and then down to the carpark, crossing Shanslieve and Slievenmaddy on the way.
Commedagh and the Castles
After all the promises of peerless skies, the day, though warm and humid, began with low cloud, shrouding even the forest at Donard Park. I’m always on the lookout when I reach Temple, for there one gets the first glimpse of the Mournes; on this day there was no sign of them!
11 of us gathered at Donard Park to start the ascent to the Saddle through Donard Park along the side of the Glen River. It seemed to take very little time to reach the Saddle through a thick mist with the occasional period of drizzle. Once up at the Saddle, the day started to get brighter, and our lunch break there meant that once we were ready to start walking again, we had made up our minds to take advantage of the improving conditions to do the longer planned walk along the Brandy Pad below the Commedagh Castles to reach the Devil’s Coachroad on Slieve Beg. A debate between David and Ian on whether to descend the Coachroad, ended with a decision not to, wise in view of the slippery conditions.
The conditions were improving all the while; one minute you would see the Castles, the next minute not! The tors on Bearnagh would suddenly appear unexpectantly and just as quickly disappear again.
Soon we were climbing Commedagh to get a view of the Castles from above, having already viewed them from below on our way along the Brandy Pad. This is an easy mountain to climb, a good 400ft lower than Donard with gentler slopes. From the Saddle, it can be climbed within 20 minutes, but we were rather circumnavigating it. Once at the top, some of us went down to the spring just below the summit to refill bottles with clear cold water. After a break, we were off over the wall beside the summit hut to walk the short distance to the real summit, and then down to the carpark, crossing Shanslieve and Slievenmaddy on the way.
Update Coming Soon
Saturday January 2009 08:17 PM
I aim to have
all the walk reports and a selection of the photographs
that have been sent to me published on the site in the
very near future. Watch this space!
iP
iP
New Photos Added
Sunday August 2008 12:54 PM
I'm in the
process of adding the Pride Walk photographs to the
album - should be in place in a few minutes 
Pride Walk - Sunday 27th July 2008
Sunday August 2008 12:49 PM
Thanks to Colin
for this walk report:
The day of our annual Pride walk was dry, sunny and warm, encouraging 32 walkers and 3 dogs out for a relaxed walk along the Lagan Valley.
We met at Barnett's Park and set off towards the beautiful setting for the Mary Peters Track and then through the woods to the river bank and the Gilchrist Bridge, just short of the old linen workers village of Edenderry. Time now to pause and describe the history of this village and the now demolished Edenderry House occupied by successive members of the mill owning Russell and Brown families. The village had been built in 1900 to accommodate the workers, but the houses did not have bathrooms, so an arrangement was made that workers and their families could book facilities in the factory!
There is a right of way up the side of the village mission hall on to the fields adjoining the Giants Ring, our destination for lunch below a tree on the side of this interesting prehistoric feature. We must have spent about an hour here. Ken has a new camera, and Geraldine, an experienced photographer, was giving him tips on how to use it.
We returned to the river along the rights of way and Minnowburn Wood. John and Gerry suggested going to “the Secret Garden”. This turned out to be a discarded (and now restored) portion of the grounds of Terrace Hill, built by the linen merchant Robinson family of Robinson and Cleaver. The National Trust have restored it; it is elevated above the Lagan Valley with extensive views all round. It was well worth the detour. We resumed our walk over the Minnowburn and on to Shaws Bridge and ice cream, before walking through the wild flower meadows and woods below Malone House.
We were so lucky with the weather. The company had been great and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the walk.
The day of our annual Pride walk was dry, sunny and warm, encouraging 32 walkers and 3 dogs out for a relaxed walk along the Lagan Valley.
We met at Barnett's Park and set off towards the beautiful setting for the Mary Peters Track and then through the woods to the river bank and the Gilchrist Bridge, just short of the old linen workers village of Edenderry. Time now to pause and describe the history of this village and the now demolished Edenderry House occupied by successive members of the mill owning Russell and Brown families. The village had been built in 1900 to accommodate the workers, but the houses did not have bathrooms, so an arrangement was made that workers and their families could book facilities in the factory!
There is a right of way up the side of the village mission hall on to the fields adjoining the Giants Ring, our destination for lunch below a tree on the side of this interesting prehistoric feature. We must have spent about an hour here. Ken has a new camera, and Geraldine, an experienced photographer, was giving him tips on how to use it.
We returned to the river along the rights of way and Minnowburn Wood. John and Gerry suggested going to “the Secret Garden”. This turned out to be a discarded (and now restored) portion of the grounds of Terrace Hill, built by the linen merchant Robinson family of Robinson and Cleaver. The National Trust have restored it; it is elevated above the Lagan Valley with extensive views all round. It was well worth the detour. We resumed our walk over the Minnowburn and on to Shaws Bridge and ice cream, before walking through the wild flower meadows and woods below Malone House.
We were so lucky with the weather. The company had been great and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the walk.