Forests in Waterford????

Multivan

Hi all!

Im am an outdoor typr of person and just got me a good bike and like camping etc, Is there anywhere in Waterford i can go?

Dont mind drivin a bit cos i have a bike rack for the van,

Heard theres a forest out by ferrybank but dont know how to get there!

Any other places any ideas or directions?

Tragamin2k2

Ballyscanlan. Ask anyone for directions. Good few up by the comeraghs aswell, theyre the only "real" forests i think(remote and a half decent size). Few woods here and there, like ardkeen and that

christophicus

Ardkeen ? News to me, and I've been living here 7 or 8 years at this stage :P .

TBH Waterford is pathetic for forests, which is a real shame.

There is always Portlaw, although alot of that is dense evergreens which are probably not what you are looking for.

old gregg

Glenshelane up in Cappoquin is a wonderful spot, maybe not welcoming of folks on bikes but the walking is great

dlofnep

Ballyscanlon, Sugarloaf, Comeraghs.

ash h

dlofnep wrote: »

, Sugarloaf,.

Sugarloaf wouldn't be an ideal place to go.
I'd say ballyscanlon would be your best bet out of whats been mentioned or else the minaun out near cheekpoint.

kayaksurfbum

if its mountain biking your after then go to Ballyhoura or ballinastoe. the track in ferrybank is pretty much a down hill run. everywhere else around here is pretty small. ballyhoura is 1hr 30 from the city,
http://www.ballyhouramtb.com/ well worth the trip. fantastic single track.

Ballinastoe is pretty good too, can get very busy. about 1hr45 depending on traffic. loads of other biking near there too, Djouce is right next to it. 3rock is close too.
http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=54&trail=135&trail_type=2&no_cache=1

amyloneill

try Ballinlaw co.Killkenny its only about 15 minutes away and they have a downhill bike track in the forest . if you google earth the name you will see it on the map and also can get directions to get there

wellbutty

Ardkeen ? News to me, and I've been living here 7 or 8 years at this stage

Turn left where pointer B is on this map...it's a gravelly path.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Waterford,+Co.+Kilkenny,+Ireland&daddr=52.246354,-7.06893&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=16&dirflg=w&sll=52.246328,-7.068629&sspn=0.00607,0.013733&ie=UTF8&z=16

Follow it all the way to point B on this map below (I think this is the last place you can get back to civilisation although you can go further along the route and then double back)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Waterford,+Co.+Kilkenny,+Ireland&daddr=52.249198,-7.085087&hl=en&geocode=CSWfVbxQPYj7FRNgHQMdjDeT_w%3B&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=52.249001,-7.08439&sspn=0.002877,0.006866&dirflg=w&ie=UTF8&z=17

This riverside track will eventually go as far as the Marina Hotel, as soon as the City Council have the courage to seize back the land at the river's edge, that the big shots in Newtown stole!

beaushalloe

massive wood in porlaw (13miles outside city) lots of tracks and forest roadways, its often used for orienteering.

christophicus

wellbutty wrote: »

Turn left where pointer B is on this map...it's a gravelly path.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Waterford,+Co.+Kilkenny,+Ireland&daddr=52.246354,-7.06893&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=16&dirflg=w&sll=52.246328,-7.068629&sspn=0.00607,0.013733&ie=UTF8&z=16

Follow it all the way to point B on this map below (I think this is the last place you can get back to civilisation although you can go further along the route and then double back)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Waterford,+Co.+Kilkenny,+Ireland&daddr=52.249198,-7.085087&hl=en&geocode=CSWfVbxQPYj7FRNgHQMdjDeT_w%3B&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=52.249001,-7.08439&sspn=0.002877,0.006866&dirflg=w&ie=UTF8&z=17

This riverside track will eventually go as far as the Marina Hotel, as soon as the City Council have the courage to seize back the land at the river's edge, that the big shots in Newtown stole!

Would they really be that big though ? I can't imagine it, to be perfectly honest though I never checked it out, I just figured they would be tiny. I will eventually check them out though, thanks for the exact directions.

Multivan

Got my Bike if anybody see me give me a beep da da beep beep, beep beep, im on a red carerra mountain bike!!!

Shall be on the ring road down toward the hospital then towards this place!!!

Mmcd

Theres the woods in Dunmore East as well
Not massively big but plenty for a walk!

wellbutty

Theres the woods in Dunmore East as well

Heard about these but where are they?????????

Mmcd

Theres a gate into them up past the back entrance to the Haven on the road up past the Proddy church. You can go across the back of the Haven over to Coxtown hill or theres another gate at the other side of the road which goes down behind the Azzuro and comes out very near it!

wellbutty

Theres a gate into them up past the back entrance to the Haven on the road up past the Proddy church. You can go across the back of the Haven over to Coxtown hill or theres another gate at the other side of the road which goes down behind the Azzuro and comes out very near it!

Ah yeah gotcha now, thanks for that!

boardtc

Good info in this thread. Finally checking out Ballyhoura this weekend but need something closer. I hear the Portlaw woods are a decent size for doing some Mountain Biking, where's the best place to start? I also heard Mullinavat mentioned, anything there?

Mmcd

boardtc wrote: »

Good info in this thread. Finally checking out Ballyhoura this weekend but need something closer. I hear the Portlaw woods are a decent size for doing some Mountain Biking, where's the best place to start? I also heard Mullinavat mentioned, anything there?

Im from Mullinavat and the forestry is just a bit up my road...weird lol
I go for runs there and its very nice for walking etc
But if you're going for the nature aspect I wouldnt bother as its mostly either trees or cut down trees
Also theres a chance that Coilte may be working there on a weekday but its unlikely!
All in all Id advise you to give it a go - if you need directions just ask!

Multivan

I saw theres a place also there by new ross past the aldi

manus30

Mmcd wrote: »

Im from Mullinavat and the forestry is just a bit up my road...weird lol
I go for runs there and its very nice for walking etc
But if you're going for the nature aspect I wouldnt bother as its mostly either trees or cut down trees
Also theres a chance that Coilte may be working there on a weekday but its unlikely!
All in all Id advise you to give it a go - if you need directions just ask!

can you give directions please..

Multivan

There are some places there on the posts above that have a map posted on!

boardtc

I tried this. I started at The Sycamore's end (2nd point b), and found a lovely bit of track which is high by the river but only a couple of hundred feet metres :-( Wish this was longer!

There's a private road not shown on google maps between The Sycamore's and maypark lane that goes down the back of xtravision, I went down and trhough the gates but there was no way to cross over by the water from here, and go towards the castle road (your first pint b)...I thought your direction indicated there was a track between the castle road and The Sycamore's...

wellbutty wrote: »

Turn left where pointer B is on this map...it's a gravelly path.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Waterford,+Co.+Kilkenny,+Ireland&daddr=52.246354,-7.06893&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=16&dirflg=w&sll=52.246328,-7.068629&sspn=0.00607,0.013733&ie=UTF8&z=16

Follow it all the way to point B on this map below (I think this is the last place you can get back to civilisation although you can go further along the route and then double back)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Waterford,+Co.+Kilkenny,+Ireland&daddr=52.249198,-7.085087&hl=en&geocode=CSWfVbxQPYj7FRNgHQMdjDeT_w%3B&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=52.249001,-7.08439&sspn=0.002877,0.006866&dirflg=w&ie=UTF8&z=17

This riverside track will eventually go as far as the Marina Hotel, as soon as the City Council have the courage to seize back the land at the river's edge, that the big shots in Newtown stole!

wellbutty

I thought your direction indicated there was a track between the castle road and The Sycamore's...

So the wooden footbridge is no longer there????? Please see the attached map that I nicked off the council's planning site, I've highlighted the route (very roughly!) in red, it shows the bridge being there.

boardtc

wellbutty wrote: »

So the wooden footbridge is no longer there????? Please see the attached map that I nicked off the council's planning site, I've highlighted the route (very roughly!) in red, it shows the bridge being there.

Nice one. If I am following the map, the left of your red 'u' line is the lovely short bit of track. The base of the 'u', the bridge, indicates there's a bridge over the private road that goes down the back of xtravision I think, before the gates, am I getting that right? A bridge here would certainly be sweet and real nice, but if that's the spot, there's no bridge there now!

wellbutty

the left of your red 'u' line is the lovely short bit of track. The base of the 'u', the bridge, indicates there's a bridge over the private road that goes down the back of xtravision I think, before the gates, am I getting that right?

Exactly. I'll have to create a new thread and see if anyone knows anything about that bridge being taken away! Sorry about that, been years since I was there. There is another (and hopefully it's still there!) way to get on the trail though, enter the Freshfields estate as shown in this attachment and go through the little green I've drawn:

fuzzy dunlop

wellbutty wrote: »

Exactly. I'll have to create a new thread and see if anyone knows anything about that bridge being taken away! Sorry about that, been years since I was there. There is another (and hopefully it's still there!) way to get on the trail though, enter the Freshfields estate as shown in this attachment and go through the little green I've drawn:

These woods you are talking about are known as Goffs wood. You used to be able to access them from the wooden bridge that was previously mentioned where you would afaik be in a wooded area behind snowcream.The last time I was down there it was very overgrown and almost unaccessable.It is an interesting place for anyone that hasn't been there.The small stream flowed from a man made structure like an artificial waterfall.It is hard to make out if it was an ornamental structure or a sewage structure of the last century.Either way its proximity to Snowcream and the water seemingly sourcing from there make it look a bit dubious i.e pollution.Interesting all the same.

When you cross the stream there is a path through the woods that eventually go through an area of rushes and reeds that look like a piece of Vietnam or Laos has been dropped into the woods:D There is then a small headland into the river which is cool to chill out on.This path used to go all the way out to Blenheim heights.Maybe it still does. I remember going out here eh....hiking when I was in college:oThis was back in the 90's.They were just developing areas like Kings channel then.There used to be guys clay pidgeon shooting here at the time on Sundays. There is also at least one wreck in the river bed around here.

wellbutty

Unbelievable (or is it) that the city council can have this walk in its last 3 or 4 city development plans and then allow it to be taken apart.

Found this link:

http://www.iol.ie/~newtownw/wet/riverrun/goffswood.htm

It would be far more constructive for everyones favourite Green Party representative to look at getting this walkway restored instead of objecting to every new development in this city.

fuzzy dunlop

wellbutty wrote: »

Unbelievable (or is it) that the city council can have this walk in its last 3 or 4 city development plans and then allow it to be taken apart.

Found this link:

http://www.iol.ie/~newtownw/wet/riverrun/goffswood.htm

It would be far more constructive for everyones favourite Green Party representative to look at getting this walkway restored instead of objecting to every new development in this city.

hear hear.

boardtc

Just catching up on the last couple of posts in this thread now. I checked out the trail tonight. The only way down to it is on the left side of @welbutty's red t on Freshfield. This looks like the 3rd picture marked obstacle 1 at the goffs wood picture gallery: http://www.iol.ie/~newtownw/wet/riverrun/goffswood.htm

I am not sure @fuzzy dunlop's description is accurate at this time. I was blown away this evening, this gravel path down leads to a riverside walks through the woods that is of very high quality and it is a hidden gem in the city. Yes, the track is a little muddy, yes it's a little exposed in places. There is some litter, mostly cans down there, but nothing a bin bag and an hours work max would not take care of. It is more suitable for walking than biking as there would be potential to insure walkers if on a bike.

I only had time to take the track to Park Lane. There the path becomes a new paved path that is begging to be walked/cycled. I spoke with a local resident who said it had only been completed last year and went right to King's channel, I am not sure where this is yet, but I think near the ferry. She also said that it had been intended to go to the city. The access point is here at point A http://short.ie/iszspp

I think it is criminal that this fence exists at the west end of freshfield that padlocks the trail. Is it not a public right of way? Is it legal to block it?

I see the title at the goffs wood gallery - Goffs Wood and the Linear river walk. I have not heard the term linear walkway before. Is this what the walk was/is called? Does anyone know the history of the walk? When was the wooden bridge taken down and the trail dismanteled?

boardtc

I have been highlighting the Goffs Wood and the Linear river walk with the
Waterford City council green candidate, Maria Raftis-Kennedy.

She will be showing the potential to the Minister for Environment & party leader, John Gormley, this Friday. Meet point is at A on the map link at 17.30 on Friday 29 may 2009: http://bit.ly/11tWxb

Come along and show your support.

wellbutty

Sounds good to me, thanks for the tip