Belvoir Park Forest Walk – Short Walk
DATE: 8th October 2021
BELVOIR PARK FOREST (c4 miles South of Belfast City Centre)
SHORT WALK – 3 miles/c2 hours (plus lunch time).
LEADER: Robert McDowell, Tel No 028 93373084 or 07711 706022.
MEETING POINT/TIME: Car Park, Belvoir Park Forest at 11.00 am.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Outward Journey:
Train – Dep W’head 9.45 am; Dep C’fergus 9.54; Arr Lanyon Place 10.20 am.
Bus – No 6D Dep Lanyon Place 10.36 am, Arr Belvoir Drive in Belvoir Housing Estate 10.50; disembark at corner of Castleboy Avenue (first bus stop in Belvoir Housing Estate), cross Belvoir Drive; follow road to car park, c0.25 miles.
Return Journey:
Bus No 8B – leaves corner of Malone Hill Park, Malone Road at 2.18 pm, arr Great Victoria Street railway station at 2.35 pm.
Train – Dep Great Victoria Street 2.45; Arr C’fergus 3.20; Arr W’head 3.30 pm.
BY CAR:
Join the M5(M2) motorway at Shore Road and bear left onto M3 (over River Lagan bridge). Take the A24 marked ‘Newcastle’ which takes you onto Ravenhill Road, Belfast (the B506). At the junction with Ormeau Road, continue straight on – the road becomes Saintfield Road. At Forestside Shopping Centre, turn right onto the A55 Ring Road (dual carriageway) signposted “The West/The South/Lisburn/ M1”. After 0.5 miles turn right into Belvoir Park Housing Estate which is clearly signposted (this is Belvoir Drive). After 0.25 miles, follow the brown sign pointing right into Belvoir Park Forest. The car park is 0.25 miles from the turn-off.
THE WALK:
The walk is mostly flat and well surfaced with some inclines, taking in sites of historical interest. We will finish the first part of the walk c12.30 pm. and have lunch at the Lock Keeper’s Inn. Because of Covid restrictions, lunch is served only at tables outside, but there will be access to the loos inside the building. If the weather is bad, lunch is available at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Final Half Mile of the Walk
After lunch we will complete the final half mile of the walk. Car drivers cross a small stone bridge, go through a gate at start of laneway and follow the path back to the car park in Belvoir Park Forest. Public transport users take the laneway towards Shaw’s Bridge, turning left into Clement Wilson Park and bearing right towards the top of Malone Road. Cross at traffic lights. The bus stop is near Malone Hill Park. Bus number 8 will take us into Belfast City Centre and we will disembark at Great Victoria Street railway station.