Dalby Forest Site Visit

Representatives of Down and Newry and Mourne District Councils, Forest Service, Mourne Heritage Trust, SportNI and CAAN recently spent a day visiting Dalby Forest in the North York Moors National Park.

The visit organised by CAAN and hosted by the Forestry Commission focused on how an investment of £4.3million in the forest has resulted in the remarkable transformation of the forest into a Regional Centre of Excellence for sustainable economic activity. Those attending saw how a refurbished courtyard housing 11 business units, cycle hire, café and community resource centre, a sustainably constructed Visitor Centre, a vast network of walking and cycling trails, a Go-Ape high ropes course and children’s adventure playpark were proving to
be a valuable asset in the region, giving the local economy a much needed boost by drawing in over 200,000 visitors a year.

A visit was also made to view Keldy Cabins nearby run by Forest Holidays where those attending heard how the 60 cabins have a 86% occupancy rate all year round. The trip was organised on the back of work which has started with Down and Moyle District Councils, Northern Ireland Tourist
Board (NITB) and Forest Service to see how more visitors can be attracted to Tollymore and Glenariff Forest Parks throughout the year by providing a mix of facilities and activities at each of these Forests.