Ballymoney Walk – Friday 16th August
SHORT WALK – 3 miles/1.5 hours. DATE: 16th August 2024
LEADER: Robert McDowell, Telephone 028 93373084 (land line)
07711 706022 (mobile)
MEETING POINT/TIME: 11.30 am at Ballymoney Railway Station
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Outward Journey:
Train – Dep Whitehead 9.45 am; Dep Carrickfergus 9.54 am; Arr Yorkgate 10.15 am. Disembark and cross bridge to Londonderry line. Dep Yorkgate 10.24 am; Dep Mossley West 10.33 am; Arr Ballymoney 11.27 am.
Return Journey:
Train – Dep Ballymoney 2.32 pm; Arr Mossley West 3.26 pm; Arr Yorkgate 3.35 pm. For those returning to Carrickfergus/Whitehead etc, disembark and change to Larne line. Dep Yorkgate 3.59 pm; Arr C’fergus 4.20 pm; Terminates Whitehead 4.30 pm. (Note that trains leave Ballymoney every hour).
BY CAR:
Ballymoney is c48 miles north of Belfast City Centre and 40 miles from Larne. Take M2 Motorway north, following signs for Ballymena/Ballymoney/Coleraine(M2/A26/M2/A26). Take Antrim/Ballymena turnoff from M2 onto the A26 towards Ballymena and continue towards Ballymoney. (Note: As there are roadworks on the M2 at Ballymena, it may not be possible to rejoin the M2 at the slip road at the Larne Road roundabout near Ballymena. If so, turn left at this roundabout towards Ballymena, following the signs to Coleraine. This will take you round Ballymena via the Ballymoney Road and you will rejoin the M2 northbound two slip roads up from the Larne Road roundabout. On the way back southbound, the roadworks should not impede your journey, although only one carriageway of the M2 near Ballymena will be in use.) Take the first turnoff to Ballymoney (left hand side, sign-posted ‘Ballymoney Town Centre’). At the roundabout, go straight on towards the town centre. After a few yards turn left into Armour Avenue, then immediately right into Riverside Park (free) car park. Ballymoney railway station is a 10 minute walk from here. Walk straight past the white toilet block building (the toilets are at the back of the building), following the main tarmac path. Bear left at the children’s play area and continue until you reach a steel ramp which leads to the railway station platform – the Belfast-Londonderry train will come in on your near side; you will not need to cross the railway line.
THE WALK:
Fairly flat and mostly well surfaced, although there may be a few muddy areas. 1.5 miles beside Ballymoney River through woodland and 1.5 miles through suburbs of Ballymoney via Frosses Road, Kirk Road, Queen Street and Church Street.
LUNCH
We can have lunch at “Bob and Berts” restaurant in Main Street, in Ballymoney town centre (turn left at the end of Church Street). There are other restaurants and coffee shops in Main Street, in Church Street and in High Street (turn right at the end of Church Street). After lunch there is a 10 minute walk down Main Street and Seymour Street (straight on from Main Street) to the railway station or a 20 minute walk to the Riverside Park car park. There are 2 loos in “Bob and Berts” restaurant; there is a loo at the railway station on the Belfast bound platform; there are 3 loos in the Riverside car park.