Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [550]
Go through the gap in the wall and descend to the northwest, steeply at first, then more easily on a broad and stony trail known as the Trassey Track, which leads down to a minor road and the Trassey Bridge car park near Meelmore Lodge (12km from Bloody Bridge; allow three to five hours).
From here you can return to Newcastle on foot through Tollymore Forest Park, along the trail that begins immediately above the car park (8km; allow two to three hours), or you can catch the Mourne Rambler bus (July and August only) from either the car park or Meelmore Lodge.
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Dundrum is 5km north of Newcastle. Bus 17 from Newcastle to Downpatrick stops in Dundrum (£2, 12 minutes, eight daily Monday to Friday, four Saturday, two Sunday).
TOLLYMORE FOREST PARK
This scenic forest park ( 4372 2428; Bryansford; car/pedestrian £4/2; 10am-dusk), 3km west of Newcastle, has lengthy walks along the Shimna River and across the northern slopes of the Mournes. The park is littered with Victorian follies including Clanbrassil Barn, which looks more like a church, and grottoes, caves and stepping stones. An electronic kiosk at the car park provides information on the flora, fauna and history of the park. Note: mountain biking is not allowed in the park.
CASTLEWELLAN
A less rugged outdoor experience is offered by Castlewellan Forest Park ( 4377 8664; Main St, Castlewellan; car/pedestrian £4/2; 10am-dusk), with gentle walks around the castle grounds and trout fishing in its lovely lake (a three-day permit costs £8.50).
In July Castlewellan village is the focus of the Celtic Fusion Festival (www.celticfusion.co.uk), a 10-day celebration of Celtic music, art, drama and dance at venues around County Down, including Castlewellan, Newcastle and Downpatrick.
Mourne Mountains
The humpbacked granite hills of the Mourne Mountains dominate the horizon as you head south from Belfast towards Newcastle. This is one of the most beautiful corners of Northern Ireland, with a distinctive landscape of yellow gorse, grey granite and whitewashed cottages, the lower slopes of the hills latticed with a neat patchwork of drystone walls cobbled together from huge, rounded granite boulders.
The hills were made famous in a popular song penned by Irish songwriter William Percy French in 1896, whose chorus, ‘Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea’, captures perfectly their scenic blend of ocean, sky and hillside. In recent years a debate has raged about the possible creation of Mourne National Park, with tourism and environmental lobbies for the project, and farmers against; at the time of research, no decision had yet been taken.
The Mournes offer some of the best hill walking and rock climbing in the North. Specialist guidebooks include The Mournes: Walks by Paddy Dillon and A Rock-Climbing Guide to the Mourne Mountains by Robert Bankhead. You’ll also need an Ordnance Survey map, either the 1:50,000 Discoverer Series (Sheet No 29: The Mournes), or the 1:25,000 Activity Series (The Mournes). You can buy maps at the tourist information centre in Newcastle.
HISTORY
The crescent of low-lying land on the southern side of the mountains is known as the Kingdom of Mourne. Cut off for centuries by its difficult approaches (the main overland route passed north of the hills), it developed a distinctive landscape and culture. Neither St Patrick nor the Normans (their nearest strongholds were at Greencastle and Dundrum) ventured here and, until the coast road was built in the early 19th century, the only access was on foot or by sea.
Smuggling provided a source of income in the 18th century. Boats carrying French spirits would land at night and packhorses would carry the casks through the hills to the inland road, avoiding the excise men at Newcastle. The Brandy Pad (see the boxed text, opposite), a former smugglers’ path from Bloody Bridge to Tollymore, is a popular walking route today.
Apart from farming and fishing, the main industry here