Bunkers Hill in Castlewellan will be given a new lease of life with the development of an ‘Adventure Play Trail’ to be opened to the public by the end of this summer.
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Castlewellan is to see more recreational development with an adventure play trail.[/caption]Designed to encourage young people to enjoy outdoor adventure in a safe environment, this unique play trail will consist of approximately twenty different natural structures including a timber climbing frame, basket swings, lookout tower and a tipee village.
Accompanying two kilometres of new walking and family cycling trails on Bunkers Hill, this development complements the successful mountain bike trails in Castlewellan Forest Park and provides even more activity facilities for locals and visitors alike.
Work on the trails which have been developed by Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland in partnership with Down District Council and Forest Service Northern Ireland started last week.
Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland’s Product Development Manager, Clare Jones explained: “These new trails are designed to inspire people of all ages and abilities to get back outdoors and enjoy the incredible natural landscape on our doorsteps.”
“The walking and cycling trail opens up some fantastic panoramic views over the Mournes and Slieve Croob. However we know that it sometimes takes more than just views to get young people excited so the new play trail will be packed full of natural features all geared up with adventure and discovery in mind.”
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Bunkers Hill play trail will prove to be a big hit with the younger generation who love outdoor fun.[/caption]The walking and cycling trail will be constructed by Newry based Euro Services Contracts Ltd with the timber play trail built by O’Roukes Timber Equipment in Kilcoo.
Down District Council Chairman, Cllr Billy Walker added: “The local community has been at the heart of every aspect of these new trails on Bunkers Hill so we were delighted to see locally based companies awarded the construction contracts. We look forward to the people of Castlewellan taking ownership and indeed pride of these facilities which will be the first of their kind in Northern Ireland.”
This trails development has been funded by the Down Rural Area Partnership through the Rural Development Programme, Down District Council and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s NGO Challenge Fund for 2014. Bunkers Hill will be closed to the public during the construction period. For more information visit www.outdoorrecreationni.com.
Funding Breakdown for Bunkers Hill Play Trail Total = £128,071 Rural Development Programme – £76,000 Down District Council – £25,491 NIEA NGO Challenge Fund – £26,580.
The mission of Outdoor Recreation NI is to develop and sustain a vibrant outdoor recreation culture in which responsible and well-informed people enjoy high quality, sustainable and appropriate activities in an accessible, well managed yet challenging environment: where landowners and managers are welcoming and where there are accompanying benefits to local communities both in social and economic terms.
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