Cregagh Glen Walk
DATE: 31 March 2023
SHORT WALK – 3 miles/c 2 hours plus breaks.
LEADER: Robert McDowell, Telephone No 028 93373084 (land line)
07711 706022 (mobile)
MEETING POINT/TIME: front door of the Museum of Orange Heritage, Schomberg House, 368 Cregagh Road, Belfast BT6 9EY at 10.15 am
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Outward Journey:
Train – Dep Whitehead 9.15 am, dep Carrickfergus 9.24 am, arr Lanyon Place 9.52 am.
Bus – bus no 6A dep Lanyon Place (opposite railway station) at 10.02 am. Arr Museum of Orange Heritage at 10.14 am (last stop on Cregagh Road before Knock Dual Carriageway/outer ring A55). The bus stop is known as the Museum of Orange Heritage stop.
Return Journey:
Bus – Bus no 6A dep bus stop opposite Museum of Orange Heritage at 1.31 pm, arr Lanyon Place Railway Station at 1.44 pm. Bus departs thereafter every 10 minutes.
Train – Dep Lanyon Place at 1.55 pm, arr Carrickfergus at 2.20 pm, arr Whitehead at 2.31 pm OR
Dep Lanyon Place at 2.25 pm, arr Carrickfergus at 2.50 pm, arr Whitehead at 3.00 pm (terminus)
BY CAR:
The Museum of Orange Heritage is c5 miles from Belfast City Centre.
Take M5/M2 Motorway south towards Belfast. Stay on the M2 and continue straight on to M3 over the Lagan River bridge. Use the left 2 lanes to take the A2 exit towards Newcastle/Belfast. Keep right, following signs to the A2/Belfast/Newcastle. Use the 2nd from the right lane and turn onto Bridge End. Keep left and turn onto Short Strand. Take a slight left at traffic lights at the T junction onto the Albertbridge Road. Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto Woodstock Link, which becomes Woodstock Road and then Cregagh Road. The Museum of Orange Heritage is near the top of the Cregagh Road on the left hand side just after Downshire Park Central. There is limited parking at an inlet from the main road in front of a row of shops beside the Museum of Orange Heritage. You may also park in Downshire Road or Everton Drive opposite the Museum of Orange Heritage.
THE WALK:
The walk will start at 10.15 am at the front door of the Museum of Orange Heritage. We will cross the Upper Knockbreda Road (dual carriageway) at the traffic lights and enter Cregagh Glen. Cregagh Glen is managed by the National Trust and steps and handrails have been installed at intervals. The path follows the bank of the Glen River, is steep in places and can be wet and muddy. At the top of Cregagh Glen is Lisnabreeny Rath. On the way back down the Glen we will take a short diversion to visit the (former) American Cemetery on Rocky Road. We will retrace our steps down Cregagh Glen to Cregagh Road.
LUNCH:
We will have a light lunch either in the café at the Museum of Orange Heritage or in “Toast” coffee shop, both being at the top of Cregagh Road. Note that there are toilets at the cafés and at Lanyon Place Railway Station, but there are no toilets at Cregagh Glen.