Ormeau Park - Belfast

Start : Car park beside Ormeau Recreation Centre - Indoor Tennis Arena and Ozone Complex, Ormeau Embankment, Belfast (BT6 8LT)

(S/E) From the car park beside Ormeau Recreation Centre, take the tree-lined path to the right of the recreation centre (South-Esat), past the all-weather pitches. Keep right (South-West) at the next two junctions. Continue along this path past mature trees and woodland copses. You will reach a crossroads. Go straight on.

(1) You will pass the former Superintendent’s House within a garden on your left. Continue on until you pass a small shelter. Ahead will be two roads, take the second one on the right. This leads to the outside of the former walled garden.

(2) Turn left (East), keeping the wall on your right, and then left (North) again on to the main path leading from the entrance to the service yard. Follow this path. You will see the bandstand on your right. Follow the path to the right which leads past a second shelter, some flower beds and mature conifer trees. Just beyond these on your right is a small wildflower meadow. Continue past a triangular rose bed on your left.

(3) Veer left (North-West) at the next triangular flower bed, in which there stands a bell on a post. As you reach the path you came from at the start, take the next right (North-East) and then left (North-West) to return to the car park. (S/E)

Start : Car park beside Ormeau Recreation Centre - Indoor Tennis Arena and Ozone Complex, Ormeau Embankment, Belfast (BT6 8LT)

Parking : Indoor Tennis Arena and Ozone Complex, Ormeau Embankment, Belfast (BT6 8LT)

Terrain : Tarmac paths, gradual hills. This walk is also suitable for people with limited mobility, please see link for Disabled Ramblers NI in Ormeau Park.

Public Transport : Translink

Facilities : Toilets at Ormeau Embankment and Recreation Centre. Refreshments available locally.

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

Ormeau Park was originally home to the Donegall family. They moved to the park in 1807, setting up home in Ormeau Cottage. The second Marquis of Donegall extended the building and lived there until his death in 1844. When the family's debts continued to grow, they were forced to sell their estate to the Belfast Corporation, in 1869.
Ormeau Park was opened to the public in 1871, making it the oldest municipal park in the city. The opening was marked with a parade from Carlisle Circus. The public were encouraged to submit their ideas for designing 100 acres of the site. The competition was won by Timothy Hevey, a 24-year-old architect from Belfast. His design can still be seen in the park today.

Source and more informations here !