Hill Walk (easy) Ravensdale – Ballymakellett Townland

Route Details:  Circular Walk – Lumpers Bar (on R174) Car Park (€5 pay at coffee kiosk – they take card), Foyles Way, The Castle, around base of The Round Mountain, Lumpers Bar Car Park.

Meet Time: 09:30

Meeting Point: Lumpers Bar Car Park (€5 pay at coffee kiosk – they take card) or you can park in lane opposite Lumpers Bar

Walk Start Time: 09:45

Distance / Duration: approx. 10 km / 3 – 3 ¼ hours including breaks

Height / Ascent: Summit 383m; Total ascent and descent 324m

Further Information:  This is an easy hill walk – mainly forest tracks and some well-defined grass/sheep trails – a few short slightly steeper pieces to ascend and descend, so you may feel more comfortable bringing your sticks for these – given the varied views we will undoubtedly pause several times through the walk to take them in as well as stopping on the top of The Castle to have a break/snack and enjoy the panorama

Leader’s Notes:

Starting from the Lumper Bar Car Park, we walk along a quiet country road (L30856) besides the bar for 10 mins where we enter the forest and take Foyles Way to walk uphill alongside the stream through picturesque and varied scenery to the plateau (~55 mins) and stop for a short break; we then walk through the woods and the gentle climb to the top of The Castle (383m) and stop for a break/snack with great views south, with Lambay visible on a clear day and also across to Slieve Foye; descending The Castle we follow the trail and well-defined grass/sheep tracks around the base of The Round Mountain (option on the day – we can detour to the top if people wish to make the ascent across open but firm ground), returning to where we entered the forest and the short walk back to Lumpers Bar (opens at 12 noon), where we can get coffee/tea and crepes or waffles

Allow 1 hour to get from Skerries to Lumpers Bar. M1 J18 (N52 exit for Dundalk North/Carlingford), R173 for Carlingford, shortly after the entrance to Ballymascanlon Hotel turn left signposted Ravensdale R174, at R174 turn right and Lumpers Bar is on LHS after 1.5km

Toilet facilities will not be open at Lumpers Bar when we start, there is a coffee/tea available in the parking area, so the last toilets will be at the M1 Castlebellingham Services just after J15

Please Text the leader by Thurs. 2nd Mar if you intend going on the walk.  Please provide mobile phone number for contact.  For ease of communication and updates a WhatsApp group will be set up for this walk. If you do not wish to be included in this WhatsApp group, please let the leader know when you get in touch to book your place.