Local Knowledge

Brexit, Bridges, Mills, Borders international crossing points within 3 separate Counties where 3 private stately mansions and their demesnes converge. (This trail takes you through the heart of the Leslie Estate in Co Monaghan, The Caledon Estate Co Tyrone and the Tynan Abbey Estate all converging at one point at the Cortynan border crossing. It is a route with a few hills but otherwise of moderate cycling conditions and a lot of historical landmarks. Distance is just 20 kilometres taking approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete).

From Drumlin Trails Bike Hire proceed towards Glaslough village. Just beyond the old Railway level crossing bear left down the Tynan road. Beyond the entrance to the first group of houses at Cul Banagher you will see  San Salvador C.o.I., cemetery.

When the land for this graveyard was first acquired it was intended to relieve the already overcrowded burial grounds attached to San Salavador church. It remained unoccupied for a considerable length of time as many of the San Salvador congregation expressed no desire to be separated from their relatives interred beside the church which is located beside Castle Leslie. It wasn’t until Dr Stewart the doctor in charge of the local dispensary (situated in the Fever Hospital on the Barrack Hill road nearby) intervened that the new graveyard opened for business. Dr Stewart had an unfortunate accident which deprived him of his leg. He consented to have his amputated limb interred in the new cemetery as he reckoned that it might not be long before he followed. According to Shane Leslie in his autobiography a small group of mourners formed the funeral cortege as the limb was put to rest with all the dignity normally reserved for a deceased person.

As you continue along this route you will note Castle Leslie demesne wall to your right. This is also known as the “Famine Wall” having been constructed during that period. The  $64 thousand dollar question on everyone’s mind is “was this wall constructed to keep the pestilence out or as a means of providing badly needed sustenance for their tenants?” Whatever the widely held viewpoint is, most locals stand by their Leslie landlord remembering him as a benevolent and generous provider of work and food throughout this difficult period.

Further along inside the demesne wall is the “Glaslough-Castle Leslie Integrated Constructed Wetlands” ,  a sewage treatment works serving both the Castle and village combined. The work on this ECO friendly treatment system was finally completed in 2008 and has been widely acclaimed as a massive success and a blueprint for other Communities to take note of.

Further along this road you will see a second Gate lodge and entrance to the estate. Continuing along you will come to another entrance to the estate but without a gate lodge. This entrance leads you to the Leslie farmyard, Gamekeeper’s lodge, the Stable Mews holiday cottages, woodlands and Kelvey lake.

Shortly, beyond this entrance the demesne wall veers off behind at an angle behind a couple of Railway cottages because the old GNR rail line crossed on a bridge overhead at this point from the opposite side of the road. The Glaslough demesne wall begins to recede out of view from the road you are cycling but as it does another demesne wall comes into view on your left side. This is the Caledon estate wall. Sir Shane Leslie describes the approach to this landmark in his book “the Irish Tangle”. “As a child I used to be driven to the border and told ‘the horse was in Armagh, the carriage was in Monaghan  while the cachman flicked his whip in Co Tyrone’ “. A remarkable place this where 3 private estates converge at one point in 3 separate Counties; two of which are in the United Kingdom and the other Monaghan is in the European Community. You could call it ‘Brexit point’.

As you travel along this road the Caledon estate will be on your left side, mostly behind the demesne wall, while on the right hand side you will find the Tynan Abbey estate. When you come to a sharp left hand bend on the road after the Caledon estate wall fades out of view you may notice an entrance to the Tynan estate where a disused gate lodge is situated.

In 1711 the Revd. John Stronge married Elinor Manson of Fairview who was the heiress of the property. He had been rector of Derryloran, Cookstown and was appointed rector of Tynan in 1738. It was his son the Revd. James who supervised the construction of Tynan Abbey. The Stronge family have remained owners of the property up to the present time. The Abbey in recent years has been dismantled stone by stone having been earlier destroyed by fire in an IRA arson attack. The grounds contained some fragments of a medieval monastic site. These are private lands.

As you reach the Coolkill road which is the link road between Middletown and the Caledon/Armagh road you can proceed up towards Tynan village at the top of the hill. Tynan derives its name from the Gaelic word “Teach (n) etha” meaning “House of wheat”. It is recorded that Tynan was a monastic site in the 9th century, but where that was located is unclear but may have been sited close the Church of Ireland church. St Winnoc is regarded as the patron Saint of the parish and his feast day is commemorated on the 29th August. Turn right at the top of the hill and proceed towards the High Cross at the corner of the next junction. This cross although of medieval origin is made up of the components of a couple of surviving high cross fragments.

Like Glaslough Tynan won an award for best kept village in Northern Ireland. The GNR rail line which passed through Glaslough also stopped near the edge of Tynan village at Tynan Railway station.

Proceed away from Tynan by turning down the hill which you came up, or you can go down another hill by turning right at the High Cross. Either way at the bottom of the hill turn right in towards Caledon.

Before reaching the Caledon-Armagh road look out for a tall building on your left hand side. This was Tynan Mill built by Sir James Stronge in 1844.

Turn left at the next junction for Caledon village. On your left you will see the gate lodge entrance to the Earl of Caledon’s Estate. In recent years Lord Caledon has allowed his estate to be opened up to visitors to allow local charities raise funds for the community through Vintage fairs etc.. There has also been an annual guided walk through the Estate which showcases the huge variety of trees in their woodlands including one which is recorded as the second tallest tree in Ireland. The Caledon demesne has a bear pit which was once home to a North American species of bear. The huge Deer Park has a vast stock of privately owned deer.

As you continue towards Caledon village there is an entrance to the monument on the Caledon estate which was destroyed in the troubles in 1970.

Points of interest in Caledon village are the former Courthouse with its Clock tower, the Fountain, Market house, the Beam Engine House (remnants of the former Caledon Woollen Mills, the many splendid sand and limestone buildings including churches and schools. It is worth noting that Prince Charles and Camilla on a recent visit to Northern Ireland came to Caledon to laud the efforts of all involved in the restoration of the Woollen Mills.

At the centre of the village you can turn left here which will take you onto the Derrycourtney Road leading towards Aughnacloy.

This might be a good spot to take a breather and have a snack or other refreshments. Allens on the corner of this Derrycourtney road junction have a sit-down deli and also have a showroom of occasional household  items

Rose Café on the opposite side of the main street also have a varied menu to sustain you for your return journey.

As you continue your journey take the next left turn onto the Annaghroe Road which is a little over a half a kilometre away. Not far along this road on your right side is a new 500kw Bio Gas Anaerobic digester renewable energy facility. Feedstock from the Caledon estate farm will help supply the energy needs of the plant which will in turn will convert into agri-business by-products. This initiative only commenced in 2012 and is in the early stages of development.

This road follows the Caledon Estate Demesne wall with its workers entrance gate  and the many splendid limestone cottages along the way. When you reach Annaghroe Bridge which spans the Blackwater river you are again entering Co Monaghan. This bridge was one of the last crossing points to have been completed in the aftermath of the Peace Settlement in Northern Ireland along the border.

The next bridge which you arrive at you will travel under rather than over as it is the old GNR railway bridge which conveyed merchandise and passengers for upwards of a hundred years on its journeys both north and south.

Take the next right at the junction bringing you back towards Glaslough and at the Station corner take the Emyvale road for your return to Drumlin Trails HQ.

Hope you enjoyed your Bridges, Mills and BordersTrail.