woods and forests fermanagh

Large, weathered oaks, 400 years old or more, grown in the ancient, native woodland on Inishfendra. These trees are occupied by the largest nesting heron colony in Ireland, with one oak supporting as many as 13 nests. Years ago oak was extracted for timber and now young ash and alder have grown up to fill the space in the canopy. Here, as at Marble Arch Reserve, the variety of plants and lichens indicate that this is a long established woodland. Goldilocks and early purple orchid grown under t...

Reilly Wood has old oak trees planted some 150 years ago under the management of Crom Estate. The trees are evenly spaced with full crowns which prevent light reaching the woodland floor, where bilberry, wood sorrel and young trees flourish. At the south of Reilly Wood, a thick band of rhododendron was originally planted as shelter for game. Unfortunately it encroached into the woodland but through careful management has now been removed, allowing heather and native trees, especially birch and...

The sheltered Castle, Birch and Kellums Bays fringe the predominantly conifer and beech forest at Castlecaldwell. These three bays are managed as a nature reserve and are just a short walk through the woodland from the Exhibition Centre.

The journey through the woodland bypasses the old 17th Century castle which lies in ruins. Birds nest in its ivy clad walls. Nearing the bays, old oak trees form a ghost line along what was exposing new land. This foreshore has been colonised by natural...