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Walking paths along Meath's rivers

gaiscioch

Aside from the excellent walk along the Ramparts of the Boyne from Navan, does anybody have suggestions for walks alongside rivers in Meath? Is the Ramparts the only established river walkway in the county?

Today I'm looking at maps and wondering if it's possible to walk the Nanny river from Laytown, or indeed the smaller Delvin river from Knocknagin nearby? Is there a path similar to the Ramparts on either of them?

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bladespin

There's a good one at Wiggers cross on the Slane Road, not sure of the name, at the crossroads turn right and head down the hill, has some parking; the Boyne river walk.

dgt

bladespin wrote: »

There's a good one at Wiggers cross on the Slane Road, not sure of the name, at the crossroads turn right and head down the hill, has some parking; the Boyne river walk.

Stackallan bridge/Sharps hill

Try Slane bridge too, has a lovely walk along the river in either direction. The Battle of the Boyne has nice scenery but can't remember off hand if it has a walkway beside the river

rosebud8

There is indeed a river walk at the battle of the boyne site. You car start it from just ouside the entrace to the visitor centre, close to an old metal bridge (that reminds me of bridges of madison county!). Its not too long and will bring you over a stone bridge and into the
Grounds of the centre. Nice coffee shop there too, for refreshments after!

Son0vagun

My favorite is Glenmore. Park at the canal just before the Oldbrigde, not far from the Battle of the Boyne centre near Donore.

Walk along the canal on your left as the river is far on your right. You'll soon pass over the canal and end up walking along the river. Eventually you'll end up at Glenmore house. A beautiful but sadly long derelict house. You'll find beautiful views across the river where deer and buzzards regularly are seen. You can then either turn round and walk back or you can walk up the lane for the house and onto the road and back down to where you've parked. Should take no more then 45mins to completes.

MugMugs

Doesn't pretty much most of The Boyne have an old Tow path running along it which could be used for walking ?

gaiscioch

Has anybody ever walked from Stackallen Bridge to Drogheda, or vica versa, along the Boyne? I can get an abundance of guides to walking from Stackallen to Navan, but I've done that numerous times.

Essentially, I'd like to know could I start walking in either Stackallen or Drogheda and walk to the other and that it's safe and that I will not get stuck in swamps and my runners will be sufficient to walk it. And that whatever path is there does not suddenly stop and change to the other side of the river and leave me stranded. Thanks.

gipi

You can walk from Oldbridge to Drogheda - recently developed walkway so should be in good condition.

gaiscioch

gipi wrote: »

You can walk from Oldbridge to Drogheda - recently developed walkway so should be in good condition.

Excellent. Is that Drogheda direction the 11km each way route from the car park in Oldbridge mentioned above? (For some odd reason I had surmised that it went towards Navan) And does the walkway go by the river, rather than the canal?

gipi

Don't think it's 11km, at least not yet. As far as I can find out, the walkway is along the canal from oldbridge and goes under the cable bridge where it eventually joins the rampart walk along the boyne to Drogheda.

There are plans to extend the walkway to the coast and inland.

gaiscioch

Walked from Stackallen Bridge/Broad Boyne Bridge to Slane today. It took at most 2.5 hours - taking it handy and stopping at all the old ruins of stone mills, boating ports and the like along the river bank. Absolutely stunning walk starting at the old cotton (yes, cotton, according to the man who lives in the long house next to it and said we were grand to walk through his land) mill in Hayestown through the forest (a bit muddy in places but nothing runners can't handle) and out along the river.

There are loads of weirs flowing rapidly along the journey so the sound is class along with the birds singing and herons and pheasants around the place. Somebody went out and mowed the bank for about 1km along it next to Beau Parc House, and I came across something that looked distinctly like a small military fort along the river between it and Slane. Not a sinner in sight and definitely one of the lesser known gems of Meath.

Will try and find a path along the Boyne from Slane to Drogheda for my next walk and will report back.

hmboards

gaiscioch wrote: »

I came across something that looked distinctly like a small military fort along the river between it and Slane.

The south side of the Boyne has several Pillboxes built to defend ourselves during the "Emergency". Just in case we were invaded during WW2. There are even more between Slane and Oldbridge. Is this what you came across ? There's one at the roadside on the hill by the bridge that you started your journey on too.

gaiscioch

hmboards wrote: »

The south side of the Boyne has several Pillboxes built to defend ourselves during the "Emergency". Just in case we were invaded during WW2. There are even more between Slane and Oldbridge. Is this what you came across ? There's one at the roadside on the hill by the bridge that you started your journey on too.

Excellent info. Never heard of a "pillbox" so I've googled them and that's precisely what it was. There's an entire thread on Boards about pillboxes already. They were apparently built in anticipation of a British invasion from the North. 13 of them were built in the Brú na Bóinne region. The one I came across was immediately after Beau Park House along the river path, on the right as you're walking towards Slane. Here are a couple of photos I took, albeit only with my phone camera.

gaiscioch

Does anybody know was there a quite large harbour on the River Boyne, on the Navan side of Slane bridge? There are extensive walls along the river similar to the one in the picture below. They must have been expensive to build. When were they built and when did they fall out of use? The Boyne must have been hopping with activity at one stage.

gaiscioch

One more question, does the state own the land immediately alongside the Boyne? There is a substantial amount of it that is not used for any farming purpose so I'm wondering is it there to be developed for public use, or are there ownership/right of way issues.

chrysagon

all a question of money... shame really

Vego

Did the now defunked spicers not own the Boyne rights or something of that nature

NufcNavan

Vego wrote: »

Did the now defunked spicers not own the Boyne rights or something of that nature

No, they owned the canal until about the 1960s and then it was sold to An Taisce for a pound I think.

gaiscioch

It would be class if An Taisce or some other organisation could organise locals and MCC to do a massive clean up. It was voluntary effort, along with ANCO(FÁS) volunteers, along the Royal Canal back in the 1980s that helped clear the canal. The resulting Royal Canal Way is now a brilliant walk (I walked it myself from Dublin to the Shannon a while back). But it was local volunteerism in each community that made it possible. No reason why we can't do that from Navan to Slane or even to Drogheda.

greglouth

I was running on this new walkway Drogheda - Oldbridge. Very good,quiet and nice way
by the river. Good work done. I can't say good thing about path from Baltray - Drogheda it doesn't exist yet ;( and the road is dangerous. It's pity because I love this part of the river.
You can find as well one of pillboxes just by the river nearby Beaulieu House.

Roycropper63

not being a navan native but the old bridge that is mentioned in this thread is where exactly? do ye mean by the old bridge inn on the dublin road out of navan? love walks with my dog and need some where new...
i usually walk the bog out in bohermeen and around the old black castle house by the river out past the round o.... think its called black castle house, its in ruins

hmboards

Roycropper63 wrote: »

not being a navan native but the old bridge that is mentioned in this thread is where exactly?

Oldbridge is between Slane and Drogheda. Oldbridge House has a visitors centre built around the Battle of the Boyne, with a small museum, lots of cannons, and cavalry and musket displays on Sundays during the summer. Phase 1 of the new Boyne Valley Greenway starts just at the entrance gates to Oldbridge House and takes you under the new Boyne (Mary McAleese) bridge and meets with the old canal walk towards Drogheda. The new section is just under 2km. I cycled it myself with the kids for the first time a couple of days ago. In parts it's like a normal path/cycle lane, and in others it's a new wooden boardwalk built in the Boyne alongside the road.

i usually walk the bog out in bohermeen and around the old black castle house by the river out past the round o.... think its called black castle house, its in ruins

Yeah it used to be known locally as Blackcastle Mansion. It was still a fine house and farm shop in the 1980's. It was vacant then for a while before being vandalised and torched.

Son0vagun

gaiscioch wrote: »

Excellent info. Never heard of a "pillbox" so I've googled them and that's precisely what it was. There's an entire thread on Boards about pillboxes already. They were apparently built in anticipation of a British invasion from the North. 13 of them were built in the Brú na Bóinne region. The one I came across was immediately after Beau Park House along the river path, on the right as you're walking towards Slane. Here are a couple of photos I took, albeit only with my phone camera.

You passed this one and never saw it. It's about 1.5km from stackallen up on a hill.

ChuckProphet

so how far does the track go starting at Oldbridge, heading up the Boyne towards Slane?

Son0vagun

ChuckProphet wrote: »

so how far does the track go starting at Oldbridge, heading up the Boyne towards Slane?

Last time I walked it, which was 3 yrs ago, the path ended at Glenmore house, which isn't far at all.

ChuckProphet

Son0vagun wrote: »

Last time I walked it, which was 3 yrs ago, the path ended at Glenmore house, which isn't far at all.

ok..I've only ever gone up as far as the gate that brings you back into oldbridge house the back way. Can you get into glenmore house or is it boarded up?