Walk 26th July- Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park

SIR THOMAS AND LADY DIXON PARK

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park is situated on the Upper Malone Road, Belfast. The address is: Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Upper Malone Road, Belfast BT17 9LA. The entrance into the park is just above Malone Golf Club on the opposite (right-hand) side of the road. It is about 6 miles from Belfast city centre and about 17 miles from Carrickfergus.
As you may be aware, there is currently considerable disruption to public transport in the Great Victoria Street area because of ongoing building work within the new transport hub, which is being developed in the former Great Victoria Street/Europa railway and bus stations. As a result, there are no trains going into or out of Great Victoria Street railway station. All Larne line trains are terminating at Lanyon Place. Some bus services have been re-routed away from the Europa Bus Centre. Due to disruption to Ulsterbus services between Belfast and Lisburn, it is not currently possible to travel to the park by public transport.
I would be willing to collect up to 3 passengers en route at around 9.30 am. Please contact me if you require a lift.
SHORT WALK – 2.5 miles; DATE: Friday, 26th July 2024
LEADER: Robert McDowell, Telephone Number 028 93373084 (land line)
07711 706022 (mobile)
MEETING POINT/TIME: Outside the coffee shop near the Lower Stables Car Park in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park at 11 am.
DIRECTIONS:
From Carrickfergus, take the A2 Shore Road towards Belfast; then take the M5/M2/A12 (Westlink)/M1, leaving the motorway at the first exit onto the A55, marked ‘Belfast W & S’. At the end of the slip road, turn left on to Stockman’s Lane. Continue straight on across Lisburn Road on to Balmoral Avenue and, where Balmoral Avenue meets Malone Road, turn right. At the roundabout, take the second exit onto Upper Malone Road – the B103 to Finaghy/Dunmurry. Pass Finaghy Road South and Dunmurry Lane on your right, pass the first entrance into Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park on your right. You will see the entrance into Malone Golf Club on your left and the entrance into the park is just past here on the right hand side. (This entrance is one mile past Finaghy Road South). Take this entrance (known as the Lower Stables car park), bear left and you will reach the free car park. The Stables Coffee Shop is marked to your right, where we will meet at 11 am.
THE WALK:
This is a 2.5 mile circular walk on fairly flat tarmac and gravel surfaces. The park contains features such as a fountain, a walled garden, Wilmont House (the former home of the Dixons, sadly now in a rather derelict state), a Japanese garden, rose gardens and extensive meadows. The roses should be at their best, weather permitting, as the annual rose trials will have taken place just a week earlier.
LUNCH:
As the walk will finish near the car park and coffee shop, we will have lunch in the Stables Coffee Shop, which serves light lunches, tea, coffee, cakes etc. There are loos in the coffee shop.
Note: The Stables Coffee Shop opens at 9 am, so if you arrive early you will be able to have tea/coffee etc and use the loos.