Bellanaleck Loughshore Walk
This short route on the outskirts of Bellanaleck Village offers fantastic views of Lough Erne and offers an array of biodiversity throughout the year. The walk also bounds Bellanaleck Quarry (ASSI) which as recently been developed as a community sensory garden.
County Fermanagh
Distance 1.6 miles
OS Map Sheet 27
Terrain Easy, tarmaced route
Nearest Town Bellanaleck, Co. Fermanagh
Route Shape Circular
Grid Reference H235388
Route Type Lakeland, Urban
Starting at the designated car park on Waterhen Lane this short route follows the shores of Lough Erne down to the Moorings Marina. Pass through the gate to follow the path along the back of the houses to the right of the car park. The path continues past the community sensory garden and open fields to follow the shoreline of Upper Lough Erne. The path cuts back out towards the main road, where a wide footpath runs alongside a busy main road, to lead you back to the car park on Waterhen Lane.
The route offers fantastic views out over Lough Erne and aside from the small stretch beside the road, the walk is very peaceful. The natural environment of Bellanaleck is home to a vast array of biodiversity. On this walk you can see a wide variety of habitats including species rich wet grassland, marsh, fen and open water. There are also some impressive Oak trees in the vicinity of the walk to keep an eye out for. During the summer months you will notice some beautiful wildflowers beside the path and along roadside verges such as the Common-Spotted Orchid, the flowers of which range from pale pink to pink-purple marked with darker streaks and spots.
This walk also bounds Bellanaleck Quarry Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) as designated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). This site is designated because of its geological value. Behind the vegetation lies a disused quarry and a vertical rock face. The Carboniferous rocks exposed on this rock face are an extremely rare occurrence of Waulsortian mound limestone and are only the second occurrence of these types of rocks in Northern Ireland. Carboniferous refers to geologic features formed approximetly 360million years ago. Despite the isolated nature of this limestone exposure it is one of the most important geological features in the Carboniferous outcrops of Northern Ireland.
Lough Erne, Bellanaleck ASSI
Head out on the Sligo Road out of Enniskillen. At the round about take the first exit towards Bellanaleck (A509). Approximately 3 mile on that road, the entrance to Waterhen Lane will be on your left handside, just after the 30 mph speed zone. The car park for the walk is on the left of Waterhen Lane.
Translink – journeyplanner.translink.co.uk
All dogs must be kept on lead
Public toilets are on the route. Play park for children. Bellanaleck Village is a few 100meters away. Shop and tea rooms are available in town. The following facilities are available for users with limited mobility: – Disabled parking – Disabled toilets – Seasonal – located at the Moorings Marina.
Grade 3
- The path may not be hard and firm in all weathers with loose stones (not bigger than 5cm) with occasional tree roots and pot holes and will be at least 1m wide for its entire length.
- The path will not be steeper than 6° or have a cross slope of greater than 6°.
- There will not be any obstacles such as steps or stiles and surface breaks will be between 12mm and 75mm in width.
- There will be a clear head height of greater than 2.10m for the entire length of the route.
- There will be passing places at least every 150m and rest areas at least every 1km.
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Walk Route
Bellanaleck Loughshore Walk
Lovely walk, but too short.
Wheelchair/buggy accessible.
Small car-park at the start on The Quarry Line road (or walk several hundred metres from Bellnaleck Marina [Erne Marine] car-park, which has public toilets).
At the start, stop & potter for a few mins in Bellnaleck Secret Garden. Agree that when you get to the Moorings Marina (where circular route turns inland towards main rd), you’re better to turn around & go back the way you came (you get different views of the lough, & we saw a family of swans who were hidden from other direction).
You can walk alongside the boats at the marinas at both ends.
A very pleasant but all too brief a walk but I would suggest doubling back when you get to Them Moorings’ as walking along a busy road isn’t especially interesting.