Now that beach days are well and truly gone we're happily back to weekend walks and admittedly I absolutely love this time of year when the colours are changing to a magnificent and awe-inspiring display of gold's and red's.Living in County Wicklow, appropriately named the Garden of Ireland, means that we are fortunate to be surrounded by truly stunning countryside, with an abundance of woodland or hill walks literally on our doorstep. That being said Wicklow is very easily accessible for a weekend stay or even a day trip from all of our neighbouring counties.
On Saturday last we met up with a group of friends to celebrate our eldest daughter and her close pal's all turning a big seven years of age! Our meeting point was at the Devil's Glen in Ashford Co Wicklow and we couldn't have asked for a finer autumnal afternoon. We met at the inner car park which is approached by quite a long, sometimes bumpy, driveway, but by doing so we were able to park right alongside the all important picnic area and therefore avoid having to carry anything other than a camera in hand.
Pragmatically, and in the interests of avoiding tears, tiredom and possible tantrums from the younger ones we opted for a leisurely one hour stroll through the woods followed by a hearty fry up at the picnic area.
Devil's Glen, located directly West of Ashford Village, offers a myriad of walks suitable for all levels, as well as pretty much all areas being accessible with all terrain buggies. It's a great day out for all the family with stunning scenery and beautiful woodlands, as well as an impressive waterfall and river along the way. There's even a walk in appreciation of the poet Seamus Heaney, with quotations and quirky woodland sculpture dotted throughout the walks. Full circular walking routes can take up to 2 to 3 hours or you can easily choose to curtail your exploration to suit the little people!
Bringing a picnic is highly recommended and a great way to reward your intrepid explorers. Although Ashford Village and local hostelries such as the timeless Hunters Hotel in Rathnew or the Bel Air Hotel in Ashford, (who both serve a good old fashioned afternoon tea) as well as the Avoca restaurant in Ashford and several local pubs serving Bar Food, are all no more than a 10 minute drive from the Glen.
For directions and to find out more about the local area you can click through to the links below or by all means contact this Blog for assistance.
Happy Rambling!
Yvonne
ps: Handy Tips:
- Wellies recommended, particularly for the River Walk!
- There are no toilet facilities at the Glen - nearest would be in Ashford Village so go prepared!
http://bit.ly/7W1zOa (Coillte Woodland Walks)
http://www.thornvale.com/ (Thinking of making a weekend of it? Thornvale (owned and run by my own Mammy & Daddy!) offers excellent, high quality B&B accommodation, conveniently located just a 15 minute drive from the Glen and within easy reach of all Wicklow attractions)
http://avoca.ie/ (Mount Usher Restaurant & Shops)
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