Northern Ireland's Dark Hedges
When we found out about Northern Ireland's Dark Hedges I knew we had to go. I am an absolute sucker for tree tunnels and this looked like the mother of all tree tunnels!
Located about 50 miles north of Belfast and near the village of Armoy along Bregagh Road, this avenue of over 150 beech trees was planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family. It was intended to impress visitors as they rode up to the entrance of Gracehill House, the Stuarts' Georgian mansion.
The estate itself has a royal heritage that dates back to the 17th century. King James I granted the land to a cousin who unfortunately drowned on his way to Ireland before he was able to take possession of the estate. The property subsequently passed down to William Stuart, the cousin's grandson, where it remained in the family for a number of years.
There's also a local ghost story that features the Grey Lady, who glides along Bregagh Road and vanishes from sight when she passes the last tree. Some believe she's the ghost of a maid who died several centuries ago under questionable circumstances. Others believe she's the daughter of James Stuart or a lost spirit from a nearby graveyard.
Now two hundred years after being planted, most of the beech trees continue to thrive and have created a mystically picturesque destination to visit. These trees are so iconic that they've been featured in a number of film productions. Most recently they were featured in HBO's Game of Thrones series as the King's Road.
Gorgeous attraction. I did a whirlwind visit to Northern Ireland a few years ago, to see all the McCool sites. I will include the Dark Hedges on my itinerary for my next NIr trip.
ReplyDeleteMost excellent! You certainly won't regret visiting the Dark Hedges. It's really fun to experiment with framing them in photos, too!
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