craigavon cycling walking & cycling in walking london newcastle upon tyne birmingham liverpool cardiff edinburgh glasgow belfast dublin craigavon All details published in this guide have been supplied by a wide range of bodies. While every care has been taken to ensure compilation of this information is accurate, Craigavon Borough Council cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Produced by Craigavon Borough Council, with assistance from the EU Marketing Support Fund. lurgan lough neagh craigavon portadown Design: (whitenoise) 028 9032 4104 M1 Photo credits: Peter Harvey, Leo Murphy and Roger Kincaid Walking and cycling enthusiasts are i n n n finding that Craigavon encapsulates the o phrase "the freedom of the road". t i o t i As we become increasingly hemmed in by r c traffic congestion, travel restrictions and t o u urban development, Craigavon’s walking d c and cycling trails present a superb d o opportunity to enjoy fresh air and healthy u r exercise, amid some of Northern Ireland’s u t most stunning scenery. d c n i The routes shown in this guide include o t loughside trails, old coaching roads, canal r towpaths and the National Cycle Network. i o t This booklet takes you on a journey along 11 of the main walking and cycling routes in n n the area. Remember, once there, set your i own pace and enjoy yourself. CODES OF USE Follow country Code. Be courteous to other users. Respect the environment Wear suitable footwear and clothing. If you wish to find out more about these routes or countryside access or have any suggestions, please contact: Countryside Access Officer Craigavon Borough Council Lough Neagh Discovery Centre Oxford Island Craigavon Co Armagh BT66 6NJ (028) 3832 2205 Terrain Rating: 1 (easy) - 4 (challenging) craigavocnr aciygacvloen tcyrcalei tlrail OSNI 1:50000,sheet20Discoverer Series Route mapavailable. 56km/35miles Total Can bebusyinPortadownonBridgeStreet. minor roadswithlighttraffic. Traffic-free pathsfor19.3km/12miles,and Rating(1-2) Terrain returning totheLoughNeaghDiscoveryCentre. Canal T Pottery, WaringstownandthentheLagan heads ontoBlearyandTheBallydougan Quakerburialground.Theroute Lynastown the RedCowCoachingInnand17thCentury Rath, sometraditionalmud-walledcottages, to Newrycoachingroad,passingLisnamintry Route 10totheBluestoneRoad,oldLurgan From KnockBridgeyouarefollowingRegional and Stables. exhibition intherestoredLightermen'sBothy Moneypenny's Lockwherethereisan Follow thecanaltowpathto a kingfisher. out forswansand,ifyou'relucky,theflashof the firstinlandcanalinBritishIsles.Look waterways meetandtheNewryCanalbegins- The PointofWhitecoatiswherethree joins theNewryCanalTowpath. Watersports Centre.AtPortadownthetrail T Network, passingtheCraigavonLakes, are onRoute9and94oftheNationalCycle Lough NeaghDiscoveryCentreandCaféyou on traffic-freepaths.Headingwestfromthe coaching roads,withoverathirdoftheway landscape ofwaterwaysandpicturesqueold This easy-goingcycletrailpassesthrougha annaghmore Animal Farm andtheCraigavon annaghmore AnimalFarm owpath nearAghagallonbefore l i a r t e l c y c n o v a g i a r c wetlands way - the birchwes eantdl amnagdhser wy tarayils OSNI 1:50,000Sheet19&20DiscovererSeries. Or anywhereontheroutes. Derryhubbert Road,Dungannon. Maghery, Co.Armagh.PeatlandsPark, Starting Points:MagheryCountryP and horseriding. Circular routessuitableforcycling,walking 36.2km/22.5 miles.90%onminorroads Three trailscoveringatotaldistanceof rating(2) Terrain 5.6km/3.5 miles) Neagh (Peatlands/Derryaddloopextra RiverBannandLough RiverBlackwater, Park, andPeatlands links MagheryCountryPark Black Route19.3km/12miles–quietroads, roads, RiverBannandLoughNeagh. Orange Route8.85km/5.5miles–quiet River BlackwaterandLoughNeagh. andPeatlandsPark, Maghery CountryPark Blue Route8km/5miles–quietroads,links and thedisusedferrycrossingatBannfoot. Rathbanna MetalCraftworks,MilltownRectory, as O’Connor’sstronghold,ConeyIsland, number ofinterestinglocalheritagesitessuch wildlife andnaturalhabitats.Therearealsoa Lough Neaghandtakeinaruralarearich These trailsembracethesouth-westernshoreof ark, y a w s d n a l t e w wetlands way - thew baentn lmaonndtasig whsa tryail OSNI 1:50,000Sheet19&20DiscovererSeries. 39.4km/24.5 miles.90%onminorroads Three trailscoveringatotaldistanceof Emersons Harbour Island, LoughNeaghDiscoveryCentre, and horseriding.StartingPoints:Oxford Circular routessuitableforcycling,walking rating(2) Terrain River BannandLoughNeagh Purple Route20.9km/13miles–quietroads, Lough Gullion. off-road rampart,linksLoughNeaghand Red Route10.4km/6.5miles–quietroadsand off-road rampart,RiverBannandLoughNeagh Green Route8km/5miles–quietroadsand Derrytrasna Moss. Discovery Centre,LoughGullionand National NatureReserve,LoughNeagh Bog,OxfordIsland Derryadd Harbour, Derryinver Moss,Emerson’sSandQuayand points ofinterestalongthewayinclude enjoyment ofthisdelightfulruralarea.Some giving theopportunityforcontemplationand the travellerintoruralheartofthisregion numerous quietcountryroadswhichwilltake Gaelic wordforbogland.Itcomprises as theBannMontaighs,latterbeing The landtotheeastofRiverBannisknown , andBannfoot. y a w s d n a l t e w nNaatitoniaol ncyacle C nyectwloer kN reotutwe 9o arnkd 91 OSNI Map1:50,000 Sheet20DiscovererSeries. Route mapavailable. 25km/16miles traffic-free paths on theMullaheadRd,Portadown.70% Oxford Island,PortadownorKnockBridge Starting Points:MoiraRailwayStation, users, therestisonquietminorroads. suitable forcycling,walkinganddisabled Linear routemostlyontraffic-freepaths Rating(2) Terrain Armagh andBallyshannon. 9 proceedstoNewryandRoute91heads Road, theNationalCycleNetworksplits,Route stables. AtKnockBridgeontheMullahead in therestoredlightermen'sbothyand canal andthereisanexhibitionoflife Moneypenny's Lockisthelastlockon swans andahostofotherwildlife. Along thetowpath,cyclistislikelytosee the firstsummitlevelcanalinBritishIsles. the NewryCanalWay.Thewas and cancyclefromPortadowntoNewryon The cyclistisonceagainfreefromthetraffic the BoulevardalongsideRiverBann. onwards toPortadownwherethecyclistjoins Lakes andCraigavonWatersportsCentre and Gardens,pastCraigavon Animal Farm viaTannaghmore paths throughtheCityPark road foramileandthenjoinstraffic-free From OxfordIslandthecyclistfollowsaminor of theLough,andhasacharmingrestaurant. an interpretationoftheecosystemandheritage Neagh DiscoveryCentreprovidesthevisitorwith on theshoresofLoughNeagh.Here, roads toOxfordIslandNationalNatureReserve, near Soldierstown,Moiraandrunsonminor Craigavon attheBroadwateronLaganCanal from BelfasttoNewry.ItenterstheBoroughof 25km /16milesthroughCraigavononitsway The NationalCycleNetworkRoute9runsfor k r o w t e N e l c y C l a n o i t a N Newry Cananle Wwaryy cmanaalr wkaeydm Warkaeyd way way further 17milestoNewry. Road, theNewryCanalWaycontinuesfora and stables.AtKnockBridgeontheMullahead of canallifeintherestoredlightermen'sbothy for eighty-fiveyearsandthereisanexhibition Moneypenny familywhowerethelockkeepers on thecanal,takesitsnamefrom Moneypenny's Lock,thefourteenthandlast onto theNewryCanalTowpath. spans theRiverCusherandtakestraveller Cusher andtheNewryCanal.Atubularbridge waterways meethere,theBann,River Bann tothePointofWhitecoat.Three Poplar linedBoulevardalongsidetheRiver Club leavesthetownbehindandfollows Shillington's QuayandatPortadownRowing The routebeginsontheBannBoulevardat extreme naturalbeauty. historical milestones,engineeringgeniusand behind toleadyouthroughawealthof working bargesofthe18thand19thCenturies canal buttodaytheoldtowpathhasleft Newry CanalwasBritain’sfirstsummitlevel Northern Ireland'smostbeautifulcountryside. series ofWaymarkedWaystraversingsome Route isalsopartoftheUlsterWay.Onea CentretoNewry.The from PortadownTown The NewryCanalWayrunsfor32km/20miles OSNI 1:50,000Sheet20and29Discoverer Series. Route mapavailable. 32km/20miles roads 90% oncanaltowpath,10%quietminor Bridge ontheMullaheadRd,Portadown. Craigavon: PortadownCentre,orKnock Linear route-StartingPointswithin T errain Rating(1) y a W d e k r a m y a W l a n a C y r w e N Oxford Island National Nature Reserve is o d situated on the shores of Lough Neagh, the x n largest freshwater lake in the British Isles. It is d a haven for wildlife and the visitor can explore f a l a range of habitats from woodlands to n o s reedbeds, following trails covering 4miles in i total. Most are suitable for wheelchair use and a there are motorised disabled scooters r l d available. There is also a children's play area d r s and paddling pool and picnic areas. LOUGH NEAGH DISCOVERY CENTRE o i i f CLOSET BAY The Lough Neagh Discovery Centre opened in s x KINNEGO BAY d 1993 and has recently been refurbished. The l o café, specialising in home cooking, now KINNEGO MARINA r boasts a comfortable seating area upstairs a o and a new extensive range of menus, offering n customers a much wider choice. KINNEGO f CLOSET RIVER WATERSIDE POND HOUSE d The trails take in Kinnego Marina, also x situated at Oxford Island. From here the visitor can enjoy boat trips along the secluded bays o and small islands off the Lough Shore, including Coney Island. The marina has been refurbished with new mooring berths and a new building including a café. There is a caravan and campsite. Terrain Rating (1) Circular trails through the National Nature Reserve. Some steps and stiles. Suitable for walking, and in places cycling and disabled access. Starting Points: Lough Neagh Discovery Centre or Kinnego Marina. Incorporates the National Cycle Network Route 9 and 94. 70% on traffic free paths. 6.5km/4miles OSNI 1:50,000 Sheet 20 Discoverer Series