Area 4.5 km² Phone +44 28 4377 8664 | Province Ulster | |
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Location Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Governing body Forest Service Northern Ireland Address Grange Yard, Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan BT31 9BU, United Kingdom Management Forest Service Northern Ireland Similar The Peace Maze, Tolly Forest Park, Mourne Mountains, Silent Valley Reservoir, Slieve Croob | ||
Castlewellan forest park
Castlewellan Forest Park is located in Castlewellan, Northern Ireland. It contains the national Arboretum of Northern Ireland, started in 1740, which contains trees from Asia, North and South America, and Australasia. Giant sequoia were planted in the 1850s. They are used by treecreepers, who burrow into its bark and make nests. The gardens were reopened in 2013 after undergoing maintenance.
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The peace maze located in the park was constructed between 2000 and 2001. It contains 6000 yew trees planted by volunteers from Northern Ireland. It was the longest permanent hedge maze in the world until July 2007, when the Pineapple Garden Maze in Wahiawa, Hawaii was extended.
The Castlewellan Gold Leyland cypress was developed in the park from a mutant tree. It was selected by the park director, John Keown, and named Cupressus macrocarpa 'Keownii' in 1963. The original specimen is located in the ornamental gardens.
Castwellan Castle is a Scottish baronial castle built by the Annesley family between 1856 and 1858. It is close to the entrance of the arboretum and overlooks Castlewellan Lake. The castle is now used as a Christian conference centre.