Slieve Donard (from bloody bridge) - Newcastle

Start : Bloody Bridge car park (BT33 0LA) Grid ref. SB 472 822

(S/E) From the southern end of the car park cross the main A2 road to reach a gate.

(1) Pass through on your right and follow the path West on the right-hand side of the Bloody Bridge River.

Look out for the attractive stonework of the original Bloody Bridge. During the 1641 rebellion this was the scene of a massacre of prisoners on escort from Newry to Newcastle. (A)

(2) After 750m the path narrows and crosses a wooden footbridge at the confluence of the Bloody Bridge and Glen Fofanny Rivers before (in 50m) reaching the stile. Beyond the stile the path picks its way upstream.

(3) After 400m look for an obvious slab of rock inclining towards a narrow section of river. Several conveniently placed boulders make this an easy crossing point. Continue upstream along the opposite bank. After 80m the path climbs above the river’s course, twisting back on itself (seawards) along a broad track giving views across the valley. (B)

(4) Continue for 30m before turning sharp right onto a narrower track which zig-zags uphill. Please, keep to the zig-zag section of path and do not take short-cuts.

Above the zig-zag, the path follows an old quarry track which extends 1.4 Km into the upper valley before skirting (right) along the north side of the quarry.

From a vantage point above the quarry the line of a disused railway leading to Carr’s Face on the slopes of Chimney Rock Mountain can be discerned. Large flat granite slabs were hewn from this area for use as ornamental stone or as foundation blocks in post-war construction works.

(5) Beyond the quarry the path meets the Mourne Wall at 750m.

(6) From here Slieve Donard can be reached by turning right (North) following the Mourne Wall uphill for 1 Km to the tower on the mountain summit.

On a clear day the panorama from Slieve Donard is superb. In particular, note the continuation of the Brandy Pad further west and the scale of the quarry operation on the side of Chimney Rock Mountain – now vividly revealed from Donard’s viewpoint.

(7) Retrace your step to the starting point. (S/E)

Start & Parking : Bloody Bridge car park (BT33 0LA) Grid ref. SB 472 822

Driving to start : From Newcastle head south towards Kilkeel. Approx 1.86 miles (3kms) look out for a car park on the left hand side. This is Bloody Bridge car park and the starting point for this walk.

Terrain : Off road unsurfaced path, uneven

Public Transport : Translink

Facilities : Toilets in car park. Refreshments in Newcastle.

Dog Policy : Dogs must be kept on leads

Note : Please remember that much of the land you will cross is private property and access is only available through the goodwill of the landowners. Although some areas of the countryside have been traditionally used for recreation, the public have no general rights to access such land and are only walking with the tolerance of the landowner.

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

(A) The Bloody Bridge: In common with most Mourne rivers, the Bloody Bridge River is a ‘spate river’: carrying little more than a trickle in dry weather, but swelling to a torrent during heavy rainfall. In addition, it occupies an outsize glaciated valley and its waters have eroded through a bank of glacial sand, boulders and gravel (called a moraine) to reach the sea. The exposed cliff-like face of the moraine is visible (left) upstream of the old bridge.

(B) View north. From this point Slieve Donard is largely hidden by the bulk of Crossone whose lower slopes form a watershed dividing the Bloody Bridge and Glen Fofanny Rivers. The long shelf of Leganabruchan borders Glen Fofanny on its northern side with the edge of Donard Wood just visible against the backdrop of Dundrum Bay.

The Mourne Wall was constructed to enclose a catchment area of the Silent Valley Reservoir in the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland. The 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high stone wall, which was built to keep livestock from contaminating water supplies, took almost twenty years to complete (1904 to 1922). The project was overseen by the Belfast City and District Water Commissioners.