Drop dead gorgeous Tollymore Forest Park, in the shadow of the fabulous Mourne Mountains.

This has got to be one of Ireland's most stunning natural attractions and is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The park, which covers 1600 acres, is situated in Bryansford near Newcastle in County Down and was owned by the Hamilton family between 1660 and 1798. It was they, in 1786, who built the stunning Gothic arches that you'll see on entering the park. After the Hamiltons, ownership transferred through marriage to the Joycelyn family own then owned it up until its transfer the the Ministry of Agriculture in the mid 20th Century. Going further back in history, the whole area was controlled by the Magennis clan after the Norman invasion of Ulster in 1177. In fact by the 15th Century they controlled most of the south of County Down. Prehistoric flint artefacts have also been discovered around the Shimna river, which runs through the forest. The name Tollymore (Tulaigh Mhór) is derived from the Irish meaning large hill or mound.

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It's arboretum area dates from 1752 and contains trees from all over the world. There are also some artificial structures in the forest which include bridges, grottos and follies. Specifically, there's a Hermitage designed by James Hamilton in the 1770's which was used as a shelter for the ladies while the men were fishing and to this day the river Shimna is a spawning ground for Salmon and Trout. There are a total of 16 bridges over the river. Some a recent constructions made in timber, but Parnell Bridge, for example, dates from 1842 and was named in honour of Charles Stewart Parnell, who visited the area in the late 18th Century.

The walk seen in the film is called the Red Trail and follows the River Shimna as far as Parnell Bridge and then comes down the other side. This particular walk is 3 miles long, although there are shorter and much longer options for walking.

Fallow deer, badgers, foxes, pine martins, otters, red squirrels, great spotted woodpeckers, kingfishers, dippers and mandarin ducks are all part of the unique and diverse wildlife inhabiting the area.

View the wikipedia article here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tollymo...

Discover Northern Ireland site here:
https://discovernorthernireland.com/t...