A day on quiet roads and through Belleek woods and castle.
I left my B&B this morning at a disgracefully late 11:00 am, but I only had 9.5 kilometres to walk (I made a mistake somewhere as it was actually 14.5 kilometres, and my GPS showed that with various detours I walked 20 kilometres, and there was I thinking this would be almost a rest day). Before departing Killala I visited the unusual round, needle shaped tower, standing alone unconnected to anything else. Dating from maybe the 12th century a number exist across Ireland although their purpose is not known for sure. Looked like a watch tower to me.
Leaving the village I turned left on the road indicated by my GPS (and on my OutdoorActive App), however the expected sign or waymark was missing. There were signs for a Greenway. I reasoned that if I was deciding on the route of the Western Way I would follow a new Greenway rather than a road. Retracing my steps I left the main road at a Greenway sign. The new gravel track, neatly fenced, briefly joined the path of an old railway line, then meandered a bit between reeds and fields. A heron took to the air from a small lake as I walked by. There were a few black posts of the type used to mark the Western Way (made of recycled plastic at a guess), they were lacking any icons or direction arrows which were presumably to be attached later.
Eventually the Greenway re-joined the small road indicated as the Western Way on my GPS, and confirmed by a later waymark. With a series of long straight sections, the road was also the route of Eurovelo 1, a long distance cycle path that runs from the top of Norway to the bottom of Portugal broadly following the Atlantic coast.
Eurovelo 1 left the road to run through Belleek Woods and I followed it for an enjoyable stroll among the trees. Several interesting sites caught my attention including a section of the Famine Wall, built to provide employment and food during the potato famine. Graves to dogs included "Phizzie" buried close to his master Charles Knox-Gore, they both died in 1890, Valhalla (inscription "Born in my hands, Died in my arms") and a memorial to all the Dorans family dogs ("Until one has loved an animal part of ones soul remains unawakened"). Belleek Castle had a café, so I stopped for a coffee and a scone (with jam and cream of course). On the side of the River Moy there an abandoned ship, the "Creteboom". Unusual as it was built of concrete in the First World War because of the shortage of steel. Nearby, only the ribs remained of a wooden ship.
Arriving at Bellina I enquired about accommodation on the Sligo Way, the next stretch of my walk, at the Tourist Information Office. The ladies tried to be helpful but there seems little available on the route of this long distance path. In addition many places may not have reopened after Covid.
I stocked up with food as I was expecting a few days wild camping after tonight, then checked into a hotel. Checking my route today I noticed the Western Way website reports that the trail from Letterkeen and the Nephin Wilderness to the end of the trail near Bunnyconnellan was "closed until further notice", an entry I had not seen in my research before the trip. One assumes due to the road construction I had passed in the Sheskin forest or else planned tree felling. A rather lazy notice I thought as it gave no indication of when the trail might reopen, no alternative route, and as the section from Ballycastle onwards is on roads or similar there seemed little reason to close this part. Appears like an easy decision by some bureaucrat, I am glad I was not aware of it.
The forecast for tomorrow does not look to good, hail and cold temperatures, and the mountain of Nephin to the south looks like its summit is already covered in snow...or maybe it is a play of light..
My evening finished at the hotel with an after dinner singer getting the audience (a tour bus party) to sing along with "Sweet Caroline" and other favourites.
No comments:
Post a Comment