Forest or Woodland in Louth

Roddylarge

Hi All,

Just looking to see if anyone can suggest some nice forest or woodland walks that i could take my dog on.

Ive done Stephenstown pond, ice house hill park, St Helenas, Blackrock Beach etc but id love to find a nice woodland walk etc to take him to. Ravensdale and Slieve Gullion are options but I suppose I'm just looking for other suggestions in the locale.

Thanks in advance,
Roddy

Snookercues

Up the back of the lumpers pub. Great long trail and fire road if you want to stick to the path.

Waitsian

Townley Hall is nice.

Roddylarge

I've been on that walk up behind the lumpers (its lovely up there), ideally though I'm looking for somewhere flat enough as after a day at work the last thing i want to be doing is climbing hills :-)

Ive never been to townley hall, that is definitely one to try out.

Keep them coming, I'm only a blown in so all suggestions are welcome.

Waitsian

Roddylarge wrote:

Keep them coming, I'm only a blown in so all suggestions are welcome.

Go for a walk round the deserted village above C'ford. You can either walk out from C'ford itself or park the car at the start of the walk. It's all pretty flat, but keep the dog on a leash if you think it would worry the sheep.

You could also try the new Greenway out those parts.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

mod9maple wrote: »

Go for a walk round the deserted village above C'ford. You can either walk out from C'ford itself or park the car at the start of the walk. It's all pretty flat, but keep the dog on a leash if you think it would worry the sheep.

You could also try the new Greenway out those parts.

Just on that. New by laws in Louth require all dogs on a leash in all public places now. Plus you must carry bags for picking up after them.

Roddylarge

Hi Srameen

Im never out without a handful of plastic bags to pick up his business so thats never an issue.
As for the leash scenario, i respect the bylaws and have the dog on the leash 90% of the time, however when I'm in an area where there are no other people or animals around i've no problem letting him off the lead for a run around.

However lets not let the thread get sidetracked on that issue.

Im definitely going to try the abandoned village, it sounds really interesting. I might even bring my camera and get a few photos.

Snookercues

Would second the Greenway between Carlingford and Omeath - its really lovely, but dog on a lead as there are lots of pedestrians and cyclists - but it is nice and flat and lots of things to look at along the way!

Snookercues

Also, there is a lovely quiet road on the way to Blackrock (as if you were coming from the Avenue Road), its on that bad bend at the end of the long strait - its called Bothar Maol - its a dead end and you have to open a gate to go through it (or you can get round it also), and its really quiet and there is a field of lovely horses up the top (so when you get up to it, maybe put dog on the lead). Essentially the laneway is at the back of the golf club (4th hole).

Roddylarge

Thanks Snookercues, I have seen that road on maps etc but never been on it, thats somewhere i can maybe go tonight.

Snookercues

Its really lovely (glad you know where it is!!!) - and on a nice evening like tonight, it will be lovely up there. He will have a great time sniffing around up there!!!!

Snookercues

Sorry I am like a dog with a bone now (pardon the pun) - just one other place - up the Carrick Road, to the right of Oriel Park as if you were standing on the opposite side of the road to Oriel , its on your right hand side - you will see a small park / seating area before 4 / 5 redbrick bungalows - keep going down there (down the hill) till you come to the large training pitch that Dundalk FC use, keep to your right and there is a lovely walk going round trees/scrub etc - known locally as "the furry glen". gets lots of dog walkers, runners etc.

bpmurray

Rocky Tall Skit wrote: »

Just on that. New by laws in Louth require all dogs on a leash in all public places now. Plus you must carry bags for picking up after them.

Actually the law is incredibly badly written. It says that it must be on a leash in all public places or places where someone might trespass, i.e. in your garden & in your kitchen.

bpmurray

Townley Hall is OK, as is the opposite side from Sawmills although they cut down a load of the trees. Another spot is a couple of miles north of Slane (not sure if it's Meath or Louth), where there's a Coillte place with a good well-marked flat walk.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Snookercues wrote: »

Sorry I am like a dog with a bone now (pardon the pun) - just one other place - up the Carrick Road, to the right of Oriel Park as if you were standing on the opposite side of the road to Oriel , its on your right hand side - you will see a small park / seating area before 4 / 5 redbrick bungalows - keep going down there (down the hill) till you come to the large training pitch that Dundalk FC use, keep to your right and there is a lovely walk going round trees/scrub etc - known locally as "the furry glen". gets lots of dog walkers, runners etc.

I'd second this. A very handy spot if you are in Dundalk.

MugMugs

Cuchulainns Castle is an underrated walk. Not a massive walk but well worth a visit..... During the day. Don't go there at night.

Road up to the back of the wall coming from the Castletown road.

BettePorter

mod9maple wrote:

Go for a walk round the deserted village above C'ford. You can either walk out from C'ford itself or park the car at the start of the walk. It's all pretty flat, but keep the dog on a leash if you think it would worry the sheep.

Been to carlingford a million times and never heard of this. Can you tell me how to find it pls?

Waitsian

From Market St turn left onto Dundalk St and follow it as far as just past St Michael's church then turn right. Follow the Rooskey Rd up into the South Commons townland. There's another turn right a mile or so from the church and just past that turn a wee car park on the left. Just ask anyone on the Rooskey Rd or in the village, they'll tell you. After you park the car just follow the trail straight through the ferns.

By the way if you Google it there are websites with maps etc.

I can't post links on my phone but there's a map on geograph.ie if you search for 'deserted village Carlingford'.

locum-motion

Slightly further afield, but try this: Rathescar Lakeside Walk near Dunleer.

It was set up as a wildfowl sanctuary by Louth Regional Game Council and the National Association of Regional Game Councils, so plenty of ducks and swans to see/feed.

Since the year 2000, there's a 'Millennium Walk' there; 2,000m long around the lake. It's pretty flat all the way, on a gravelly surface. (Now that I think about it, I think the loop is actually 1,000m long - 2 laps makes it the 'Millennium Walk')

All dogs MUST be kept on a lead here, though. (It is a Wildfowl Sanctuary, after all!)


https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.8226591,-6.4408217,599m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

ShiverinEskimo

Snookercues wrote: »

Sorry I am like a dog with a bone now (pardon the pun) - just one other place - up the Carrick Road, to the right of Oriel Park as if you were standing on the opposite side of the road to Oriel , its on your right hand side - you will see a small park / seating area before 4 / 5 redbrick bungalows - keep going down there (down the hill) till you come to the large training pitch that Dundalk FC use, keep to your right and there is a lovely walk going round trees/scrub etc - known locally as "the furry glen". gets lots of dog walkers, runners etc.

Rocky Tall Skit wrote: »

I'd second this. A very handy spot if you are in Dundalk.

In here daily and it's perfect to let the dogs run. There's one or two fair-weather runners who don't take kindly to unleashed dogs though unfortunately so just be aware if your dog is a little boisterous.

I've had a run in with one in particular who didn't take kindly to my puppy's barking. I now have to look out for him on dry days and try to avoid him or get the leash back on the puppy. Training is on-going though and he's improving.

I've learned to love the wet mornings there when I often have the place to myself. It's class in the winter too when it's frosty. Not a sinner around and the few mucky parts firm up in the frost. You can access it through a ditch too from the Ardee Road side down a cul de sac opposite the stone cottage against the road past the Texaco garage as you head out of town.

MugMugs

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

I've had a run in with one in particular who didn't take kindly to my puppy's barking. .

Quite frankly if somebody objected to my dog barking at them, I'd bark at them too.

enricoh

I wouldn't recommend townley hall, it's really unsafe parking the car there due to break ins.
Why the cops can't rig up a bait car with a few cameras on it is beyond me

Fingers Mcginty

enricoh wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend townley hall, it's really unsafe parking the car there due to break ins.
Why the cops can't rig up a bait car with a few cameras on it is beyond me

Agree with this post. It's a lovely spot but park the car in the layby across the road beside the boyne. Safer methinks.

DBB

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Agree with this post. It's a lovely spot but park the car in the layby across the road beside the boyne. Safer methinks.

I've had a car broken into in that exact spot.
Indeed, it's the safety of your car that makes me hesitant to recommend some of the fabulous walks in that area... I know it's in Meath (just about ... But you now have the advantage of not being subjected to that awful, short-sighted new bye-law), but the canal path from Oldbridge/Obelisk Bridge up through Glenmore is just lovely, it's part of the Greenway... But the little parking area at the entrance to the canal path is a risky spot to leave your car.
I used to park at the lower entrance into Townley Hall (at the King William's Glen x), but latterly started parking up in the Oldbridge House car park, took the loop up around the back of the house, and out onto the canal path. Or, you can walk back down the avenue into Oldbridge House, and walk the very short stretch along the road to the canal path.
Car is safe, dog can have a legal off-lead run (though dogs should be on-lead within the grounds of Oldbridge House).

DBB

bpmurray wrote: »

Another spot is a couple of miles north of Slane (not sure if it's Meath or Louth), where there's a Coillte place with a good well-marked flat walk.

That's Littlewood, and it's in Meath but only a few miles from the Louth border in Collon. It's a nice loop walk, takes about a half hour to do the loop at a steady pace

positron

Great thread!!

For us Droghedeans, apart from the walks already mentioned above around Oldbridge and Townley Hall, there's also the riverside walk at back of Sonairte at Julianstown. It's not that long but plenty of bird watching opportunities, fairy trees, proper forest feel, decent parking and a proper cafe that serves good food to (over)compensate for the walk!

Snookercues

And one more for the Dundalk area - Navvy Bank - again, dogs to be kept on a lead, but there is no nicer place to view the bay and mountains on a nice afternoon or evening

snoone

+1 for Rathescar.

and don't forget some bread for the ducks !!

ShiverinEskimo

snoone wrote: »

+1 for Rathescar.

and don't forget some bread for the ducks !!

Bread = Not good for Ducks.

Porridge Oats = Good for Ducks.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Bread = Not good for Ducks.

Porridge Oats = Good for Ducks.

True, but kids can't throw porridge oats.

ShiverinEskimo

Rocky Tall Skit wrote: »

True, but kids can't throw porridge oats.

Sure they can. Tiny fistfulls of them.