woods and forests tyrone

The Forest Park was opened in 1967 and embraces over 405 hectares of the much larger forest of Gortin Glen. It has the distinction of being the first to be established in a purely coniferous woodland which has been planted for the prime purpose of producing a commercial crop of timber. A major feature of the Forest Park is the 5 mile long tarmac drive through the forest which offers some breathtaking views. A number of vista parks have been constructed where the motorist can pull in and witho...

Like many areas in NW Europe, the hills of West Tyrone receive high rainfall from the prevailing Atlantic winds. This high moisture and cool climate waterlog the soil so that normal breakdown of plant remains is extremely slow. Because of this, peat covers large areas of upland. It is known as blanket bog. Today much of the blanket bog in Ireland has been exploited for fuel or planted over with conifer trees. Killeter Nature Reserve comprises two areas where the 'blanket' of peat is deep...

Although small (50 acres) this raised bog has not been disturbed by cutting, drainage or burning. From analysis of pollen preserved in the bog we know that Meenadoan has grown from a small lake which existed at the end of the last ice age around 13,000 years ago. The bed of this lake is now 14 metres below the present surface. This mass of peat has preserved clues to history that can tell us how the landscape looked centuries ago. below the present surface.

Fed only by rain, the surface...