Huntly Wood

From the lay-by follow the beaten/surfaced track either to the left, or walk towards the river for a short walk along a section of the line of the former Banbridge to Scarva railway. The railway closed in the 1950s. The walk is circular and will take you back to the starting point.

Located on dry, sloping banks between the Huntly Road and the River Bann this mature, broad-leaved woodland was probably planted as part of works to stabilize the banks when the railway which runs at the foot of the slope, along the River Bann, was constructed. The railway line opened in March 1859 and was acquired by the Great Northern Railway in 1877. The railway closed in 1956.

The upper grassy banks are home to mature beech and oak, a zone of laurel has been contained at the foot of the slope, and beyond the old railway, along the river, is an area of alder. The site has been identified as a proposed Site of Local Conservation Interest under the draft Area Plan.

Follow part of the line of the old railway cutting along the River Bann which used to carry trains between Banbridge and Scarva - the former Banbridge Junction Railway - later taken over by the GNR - which ran between Banbridge and Scarva from 1859 to 1956. In the 1950's a diesel train ran along the line. Sadly the line closed in 1956 as a result of railway rationalisation.

The cutting was overgrown with laurel and this was cleared to create a walk along it. Little railway infrastructure remained on the site other than the actual cutting, a length of square cut masonary wall and some railway sleepers found here and there. At the southern end of the site - opposite the bench - is one of the old stone built bridge abutments which carried the railway over the River Bann.

The combination of woodland habitat and the retention of old and dying wood is great for mini-beasts on which birds and bats feed. The river banks here form part of the territory of otters and they use it to forage along and to access other parts of their territory. The habitats found in the wood provide good feeding and roosting opportunities for bats - 4 of the 8 species of bat found in NI have been identified in the wood. The majority are Pipistrelle, which can be seen in the early evening between April and Sept. (bats hibernate during the winter). Species identified in the wood and along the river include Soprano pipistrelle, Common pipistrelle, Whiskered bat, Daubenton's bat and Leisler's bat. Bats can be seen swarming on warm, summer nights as they feed near the site of the old railway bridge.

The River Bann was integral in the development of the linen industry in Banbridge. Once the banks between the town and Gilford were dotted with linen mills and factories and green fields made white by the strips of linen left out to bleach in the sun. On the opposite bank of the River new housing development has replaced the old mills.

From the lay-by follow the beaten/surfaced track either to the left, or walk towards the river for a short walk along a section of the line of the former Banbridge to Scarva railway. The railway closed in the 1950s. The walk is circular and will take you back to the starting point.

Located on dry, sloping banks between the Huntly Road and the River Bann this mature, broad-leaved woodland was probably planted as part of works to stabilize the banks when the railway which runs at the foot of the slope, along the River Bann, was constructed. The railway line opened in March 1859 and was acquired by the Great Northern Railway in 1877. The railway closed in 1956.

The upper grassy banks are home to mature beech and oak, a zone of laurel has been contained at the foot of the slope, and beyond the old railway, along the river, is an area of alder. The site has been identified as a proposed Site of Local Conservation Interest under the draft Area Plan.

Follow part of the line of the old railway cutting along the River Bann which used to carry trains between Banbridge and Scarva - the former Banbridge Junction Railway - later taken over by the GNR - which ran between Banbridge and Scarva from 1859 to 1956. In the 1950's a diesel train ran along the line. Sadly the line closed in 1956 as a result of railway rationalisation.

The cutting was overgrown with laurel and this was cleared to create a walk along it. Little railway infrastructure remained on the site other than the actual cutting, a length of square cut masonary wall and some railway sleepers found here and there. At the southern end of the site - opposite the bench - is one of the old stone built bridge abutments which carried the railway over the River Bann.

The combination of woodland habitat and the retention of old and dying wood is great for mini-beasts on which birds and bats feed. The river banks here form part of the territory of otters and they use it to forage along and to access other parts of their territory. The habitats found in the wood provide good feeding and roosting opportunities for bats - 4 of the 8 species of bat found in NI have been identified in the wood. The majority are Pipistrelle, which can be seen in the early evening between April and Sept. (bats hibernate during the winter). Species identified in the wood and along the river include Soprano pipistrelle, Common pipistrelle, Whiskered bat, Daubenton's bat and Leisler's bat. Bats can be seen swarming on warm, summer nights as they feed near the site of the old railway bridge.

The River Bann was integral in the development of the linen industry in Banbridge. Once the banks between the town and Gilford were dotted with linen mills and factories and green fields made white by the strips of linen left out to bleach in the sun. On the opposite bank of the River new housing development has replaced the old mills.