‘Heed the signs and stay away’ from Castlewellan Forest Park

‘Heed the signs and stay away’ from Castlewellan Forest Park

12 February 2025

PEOPLE who use Castlewellan Forest Park are being urged to stay away until it is safe to enter.

The appeal has been issued by Mournes councillor, Laura Devlin, who lives close to the facility which is managed by Newry, Mourne and Down Council and currently remains closed.

She said initial reports about the damage the park suffered during Storm Éowyn were devastating and explained that since the gale force winds left a trail of destruction in their wake, local authority staff and contractors have been working tirelessly  to make the park safe and fit to be re-opened.

“At the start of last week, the council was hoping that the lake walk could be opened in time for last weekend but that wasn’t the case,” said Cllr Devlin.

“Work remains underway to remove trees and even more importantly check the trees that are damaged. As you can imagine this is a significant piece of work.”

Cllr Devlin said while many people miss the park very much, she is urging them to stay away until it is safe to go back in.

“We all want to walk, run or even just get our head showered but parts of the park remain unsafe. So please do heed the signs and stay away,” she said.

Cllr Devlin said the district is fortunate to have some really amazing green spaces, with the recent storm demonstrating how much local people value country and forest parks and often take them for granted. 

“The local council is investing heavily in Castlewellan Forest Park as is the Heritage Lottery Fund so everyone sees the potential in developing the facility in a sus-

tainable manner,” she continued.

“The current work in the walled garden and throughout the park will be transformative for locals to enjoy as well as improving our tourism offering in this part of the district.”

Cllr Devlin said while the local authority wants to reopen the park, safety is the number one priority.