Article first published in:
Wicklow Mountain Views – The Newsletter of the Wicklow Uplands Council.
Issue No. 31 – Winter 2022
Long Distance Walking Trail Edges Closer To Reality
The new section will connect the Sugar Loaf Way (above) with the Roundwood Reservoir Vartry Trails.
Wicklow Uplands Council has held a long-term ambition of developing a new addition to the long-distance walking trails on offer in the east of Ireland – with the Wicklow Uplands and some of its most spectacular views, diverse settings, along with settlements and key tourism attractions, all featuring close to the selected route.
To achieve this, an over-arching vision of creating a series of interconnected trails that could be presented as individual amenities or enjoyed as part of a longer experience, has been slowly yet steadily developed over the last decade, with a range of stakeholders collaborating to achieve this goal.
Tentatively titled, ‘The Wicklow Uplands Way’, the envisaged route begins (or ends) in Bray before ascending to Rathdrum and the newly redeveloped Avondale House and Forest Park, and in time, onwards to Avoca and Woodenbridge. This route also passes close to Roundwood and other settlements, where hospitality options would support visitors and provide additional amenities for local communities to enjoy on their doorstep.
Wicklow Uplands Council is delighted to be able to share that work will soon be underway on the next stage of the long-distance trail – a 9.5km stretch that will link the Sugar Loaf Way with the scenic Vartry Reservoir Trails. Combined, this opens the possibility of a linear route, from Bray all the way to Roundwood, an impressive distance of some 25km.
Transport options to enable recreational users to experience these trails individually, in stages, or as a multi-day venture using the public transport network, has always been a key consideration to the routes chosen. Train stations and public bus services at Bray and Rathdrum are now matched with the arrival of the 181 and 183 local link bus service, both of which pass through Roundwood and other upland villages – creating much more accessibility and options of where to begin and end walks. It also has the added advantage of removing private vehicles from the upland road network and limited parking facilities.
This latest stretch is being delivered by Wicklow County Council in conjunction with Wicklow Uplands Council, having successfully received a funding allocation under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme in 2019 to develop this integral section that passes through Calary and along the mountainside plateau that leads into the uplands, bringing with it the Council’s vision of a long-distance route ever-closer to becoming a reality.
Following a number of years of development work, 2020 saw the Bray Head Loop and the Belmont Way officially open, offering not only two new individual trails but also the more challenging option from Bray all the way to the Sugar Loaf Way – a route that takes in the stunning vista of Bray Head, the mature woodland and farmland of Belmont Demesne and the more demanding, yet rewarding, incline of both the Little Sugar Loaf and Great Sugar Loaf hills.
– Photo of the Great Sugar Loaf appears courtesy of Helen Mulvey.
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CLICK HERE for this issue – Winter 2022.
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