Overview
Tollymore opened as a forest park in 1955. It spreads across the northern slopes of the Mourne Mountains just outside Newcastle in County Down. The Shimna River runs through the middle of it, and the walk along its banks, past a Gothic barn, a clifftop hermitage and a run of 18th-century stone bridges, is the main draw of the park.
A landscape shaped by history
The name Tollymore comes from the Irish Tulaigh Mhór, ‘large hill or mound’, after the two prominent hills within the boundary: Slieve Neir and Slieve Snaran, known locally as The Drinns. The land passed through several families before it became a public park. The Magennis clan held it in the 15th century, followed by the Hamilton family in the 17th. James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassil, reshaped the estate in the 1700s, commissioning the Gothic follies and ornamental bridges that still define it.
Ownership later passed to the Jocelyn (Roden) family, and the estate was sold off in two parts, from 1930 and again in 1941, when the Ministry of Agriculture completed the purchase. It opened to the public as a forest park in 1955.
Walking trails
The Forest Service guide describes the marked walks. Use the trail map and posted signs to choose a route.
- Blue Trail – Arboretum Path: the short walk through the historic arboretum, passing mature trees.
- Red Trail – River Trail: follows the Shimna, passing stone bridges and the Hermitage. It is the walk that follows the river through the wooded gorge.
- Black Trail – Mountain Trail: a longer route through mixed conifer and broadleaf woodland, with more climbing.
- Black 1 – The Drinns Loop: an optional extension around the two forested hills, longer again, with more climbing.
The Ulster Way long-distance path also runs through the park. Keep to marked paths, particularly after rain or wind.
Follies and bridges
Tollymore is an open-air museum of 18th- and 19th-century landscape design, much of it shaped by Thomas Wright of Durham, a friend of the Earl of Clanbrassil.
- Barbican Gate and Gothic arches: the grand entrance pairs a Barbican Gate with matching Gothic arches, flanked by an avenue of Himalayan cedars.
- Clanbrassil Barn: built around 1757 to look like a church, this Grade B1-listed structure once held stables and storage.
- The Hermitage: a small stone shelter set into the gorge wall in the 1770s, with a Greek inscription dedicating it to John Montagu, Marquess of Monthermer, and originally a retreat for the ladies of the house while the men fished.
- Stone bridges: bridges cross the waterways, the Old Bridge (1726) being the oldest; others include Ivy Bridge (1780), Foley’s Bridge (1787) and Parnell Bridge (1842). The Mourne Heritage Trust restored a number of structures in 2014, among them the Hermitage, Foley’s Bridge, Horn Bridge and the Old Bridge.
- Ancient monuments: the park also holds prehistoric and medieval remains, including the King’s Grave, a megalithic cairn, and the White Fort, a large cashel with 3-metre-thick walls. Flint tools of Late Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date and a Bronze Age arrowhead have been found near the Shimna.
The arboretum
Planting began here around 1752, and the slightly milder coastal microclimate has let a run of exotic species thrive. Look for the towering Himalayan cedars, a cork oak with unusually thick bark, and the remains of a giant redwood struck by lightning. The one to seek out is the original Picea abies ‘Clanbrassiliana’, a slow-growing spruce planted around 1750.
Wildlife
The woods and riverbanks are good habitat for wildlife. Fallow deer have roamed the woods since the 1970s, and otters, badgers, foxes and pine marten are among the mammals of the riverbanks and forest floor. Birdwatchers pick out kingfishers, dippers and great-spotted woodpeckers along the water. Early morning or late afternoon gives you the best chance of seeing wildlife, though none is guaranteed.
Filming
Tollymore’s woods and stone bridges have carried several major productions. It doubled as the Haunted Forest in Game of Thrones, including the scene where the Stark children first find their direwolf pups, and it appeared in Dracula Untold.
Day visits and camping
Tourism Northern Ireland gives usual day opening from 10am to sunset. The 2026/27 Forest Service vehicle charges list £5 per car, £2.50 per motorcycle, £13 per minibus and £35 per coach. Camping and touring pitches have separate rates and booking. Check the Forest Service notices for closures in severe weather and ask about suitable paths if you need step-free access.
Practical information
- Getting there: on Bryansford Road, Newcastle, County Down (BT33 0PR). Public transport is limited, so check options before you go. The park can be busy at weekends and on fine days, so come early.
- Dogs: check the Forest Service guide for current rules, and keep dogs under close control near wildlife and the river.
- Nearby: Castlewellan Forest Park and Murlough National Nature Reserve make easy add-ons.