An ancient woodland two hours away from Dublin has opened to the public for the first time in more than 500 years.
The Woodland Trust conservation charity hopes Mourne Park in Northern Ireland will now become a popular visitor attraction, having bought 156 hectares of the 212 hectare site last year. It is currently raising funds to buy a further 46 hectares.
As part of the £5.2 million campaign, the trust has reinstated walking paths in woodland that has not offered public access since the 1500s. Three trails have been completed over loose gravel paths covering a variety of gradients and lengths. They have been called the Bluebell Walk, the Woodland Loop and the Whitewater Trail.
