Prehen Ancient Wood covers a mere 22 acres (the size of a big field), a remnant of the great forest which once covered the banks of the Foyle and far beyond. Today it is hidden behind the suburban fringes on the outskirts of Derry / Londonderry. You might suppose that twentieth century urbanisation brought it to this state – but the great loss occurred much earlier, driven by the demand for timber and the desire for new fertile agricultural land.

Prehen wood survived into the twentieth century by being part of the estate of Prehen House. After this was broken up, the wood almost fell prey to felling, but was saved by a public outcry in the 1920’s  – an early environmental awakening. Prehen then is a kind of Muir Woods for this part of the world – a small beginning that still has a long way to go!

Most walkers in the Belfast area will be familiar with some or all of the the coastal path from Holywood to Bangor. However, the final path section of the North Down coast walk is much less well known. This is a pity for this section contains much fine wild walking, diversity and interest.