Claudy Country Park

Ballynameen Bridge

Claudy Country Park is somewhere I've found myself a lot recently, planting Oaks last autumn and this week planting more trees with the Faughan Valley Partnership. Its a cool place, a lot of history, a biodiversity trail and a historic old house undergoing some major renovations....here's a few pics from today...

Claudy Country park with the Faughan River running through it is a Site of High Conservation value.
See Cycle NI for a nice write up too

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palnting some holly amongst the ash and birch woodland

The village of Claudy originally grew up around the Cumber House and its estate, the lands of which were included in the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th Century.  Originally in the possession of the church, the Bishop of Derry at the time, Bishop Reeves, let the land to George Cooke.  Since then the lands of the estate changed hands many times, but the last of the English landlords were the Browne-Lecky family who built Cumber House as we know it today in the early 19th Century.  The last member of the Browne-Lecky family to reside in Cumber House was Colonel Cecil Browne-Lecky who died in 1929.  After the Colonel’s death the land was sold to a man named Wooton who cleared large areas of trees from the estate and Cumber House itself was them used as to billet British and American troops during World War II.  Local GAA club John Mitchels purchased Cumber House in 1972 and are currently working on an extensive restoration project in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund. - Rapid Community Network

"you looking at me?"

small pockets of snowdrops

In Claudy Country park there isn't the same massive trees like nearby Ervey Wood or Ness Wood but the carpet of Bluebells looks to be spectacular, and with the ongoing Rhododendron removal works this will open up the woodland floor to the expansion of snowdrops. There is a nice smattering of Yew through the woodland too. The path network is excellent and the massive playground and biodiversity trail make this a great facility for kids.

removal of Rhododendron has opened up the woodland floor

Faughan River

whole series of these markers highlighting species found in the country park

stonework of the Walled Garden for Cumber House, now a state of the art play facility

various lichewn can be seen, (here Evernia and Usnea moss)

wonderful all-access path network

handy totem pole for tree identification

wonderful woodland playground

there will be a guided woodland walk here in Claudy Country Park on Sat 4th May from 10am....the bluebells will be at their peak so its a wonderful time to visit.