Rostrevor Forest

Rostrevor Forest begins at the coast by Rostrevor Village and stretches for nearly 6 miles northeast finishing on the slopes of Altataggart Mountain and comprises 1,100 hectares of trees within a 1,700 hectare area. The forest was first planted in 1931 with coniferous species sitka spruce, douglas fir and pine species best suited to the less fertile steep hillside and has plenty of wildlife including badgers, foxes, grey and red squirrels, wood pigeons, sparrow hawks and jays.

The forest has 3 waymarked tails ranging from 2km to 7km which are all circular in nature and close to the Rostrevor Village end. The forest also has numerous non-waymarked trails leading into the Mourne Mountains and the Ulster Way passes from the Village right through the forest exiting at Rocky Mountain.

Rostrevor Forest Trails

Rostrevor Forest Points of Interest

Rostrevor Oakwood
The Rostrevor Oakwood is a special conservation area which is believed to be a 250 year old remnant of  an original oak forest which was cleared in the 18th and 19th centuries for wood for shipbuilding.

Fiddlers Green
The Fiddlers Green is a small clearing on the south edge  of the Oakwood which was traditionally used for for local entertainment and now gives its name to the annual week long music festival held in Rostrevor.

The Cloghmore Stone
The Cloghmore Stone (from Irish: an Chloch Mhór meaning “the big stone”) is a 30 ton boulder lying 300m above the village on a flat area on the slopes of Slieve Martin.  It is a glacial erratic which was likely carried from Scotland during the last ice age. Local folk tales suggest it was thrown by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill from the Cooley Mountains on the other side of Carlingford Lough.

The Cloughmore Stone

Sources:
NIDirect.gov.uk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloughmore
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldgreywolf/ 

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