Belfast Hills Partnership

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Belfast Hills Partnership The Belfast Hills Partnership is a charity that seeks to protect and enhance the Belfast Hills.

We:
Encourage physical and emotional well-being with healthy walking
Strive to protect the wildlife of the Belfast Hills
Combat invasive species that threaten our native plants and animals
Record wildlife and protect habitats
Improve access into the Hills and develop new routes eg linking Divis Mountain to Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park
Produce leaflets, provide information and volunteering opportunities
Commission environmental research
Run events, newsletters and website
Support local agriculture and communities
Scrutinise planning applications that may affect the Belfast Hills
Make sure government departments consider the Belfast Hills when making decisions

Recently the Lough Neagh Partnership organised a best practice visit to Forthill Farm, within the Catchment of Lough Nea...
21/10/2026

Recently the Lough Neagh Partnership organised a best practice visit to Forthill Farm, within the Catchment of Lough Neagh. We were delighted to be invited alongside The Chinese Consulate General Mr Li, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Henry Cushinan and other invited guests. The Consul General shared the experience of Lake Taihu in China and the successful efforts to address its pollution challenges. The day concluded with a tour of the farm to learn about Water Quality Friendly Farming Practices within the Lough Neagh Catchment. We also explored the newly planted woodland, examined fencing and water buffering along the river and learned about grazing of Irish Moiled Cattle, and general regenerative farming practices.

Many thanks for having us along!

Join Belfast Hills Partnership and Ulster University for a Mink & Otter Survey Workshop to hear the findings from the Cr...
19/10/2026

Join Belfast Hills Partnership and Ulster University for a Mink & Otter Survey Workshop to hear the findings from the Crumlin River catchment and find out how you could get involved in next year’s survey work.

Saturday 7 November
10am – 12 noon
Ionad Teaghlaigh Ghleann Darach, 15F Glenavy Road, Crumlin

To register please send us a message or email [email protected]

This is part of the Crumlin River Restoration Project in partnership with Crumlin & District Angling Association and is funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

It’s time for Hidden Heritage of the Belfast Hills – an online series where we bring you to some of the hidden heritage ...
18/10/2026

It’s time for Hidden Heritage of the Belfast Hills – an online series where we bring you to some of the hidden heritage features of the Belfast Hills!

The Irish for Ligoniel – Lag an Aoil – literally translates as “hollow of the lime” so it’s no wonder that today’s Hidden Heritage focuses on the Lime Stone Quarry at Ligoniel. Like other sites across the Belfast Hills, Ligoniel was quarried for lime stone which was used for both agricultural and construction purposes. The quarry dips into Wolf Hill, which is so-called because this is where the last wolf in Ireland was believed to have been killed in 1692.

Ligoniel is an important reminder of industry in Belfast; as industry progressed the plentiful water supply of Wolf Hill was harnessed into a series of dams to power mills and for agricultural processes. Ligoniel came into being during the nineteenth-century as a response to the emerging industries. It was a considerable distance to walk for a day’s work from the city itself as Dr Jonathan Hamill explains: ‘The solution was to build a community around the bleachworks and, later, the mill. …As Ligoniel developed it also came to boast a schoolhouse, medical facilities, a library, churches and a series of shops. All of these amenities relied on the Thompson, Montgomery and Finlay families…’.

How to get there: You will find Ligoniel Dams at the back of Thornberry Mews. Please consider residents when parking in and visiting this area.
https://belfasthills.org/visiting/hills/ligoniel-dams-park/

It's been a busy week for our Volunteers! They have been hard at work helping out with the Crumlin River Restoration Pro...
16/10/2026

It's been a busy week for our Volunteers!

They have been hard at work helping out with the Crumlin River Restoration Project removing gorse to make way for a new 3m riparian buffer zone and areas of wet woodland creation. Upcoming fencing, tree planting and pasture pumps will help exclude livestock from the river, reducing pollution and improving habitat for wildlife.

This is a great example of practical measures delivering benefits for both farming and nature. Well done to everyone who got involved!

Crumlin & District Angling Association

Say hello to the class of 2026-7! We recently kicked off another year of our Trainee Ranger Scheme and welcomed 12 new f...
16/10/2026

Say hello to the class of 2026-7! We recently kicked off another year of our Trainee Ranger Scheme and welcomed 12 new faces to the Belfast Hills. As is tradition, they got to enjoy a highly informative walk from Claire from Feasting on Weeds. The walk around Colin Glen Belfast finished up with some delicious snacks made using foraged ingredients - our mouths are watering even just thinking about them today!

The Trainee Ranger Scheme is part of 'Young, Wild and Well'. ‘Young, Wild and Well’ is a new project which will build on the legacy of Wild Youth. The joint project between the Belfast Hills Partnership and Ulster Wildlife will continue to support young people’s mental and physical health in the outdoors. Delivered in collaboration with Barnardo's Northern Ireland with thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland.

Have you ever paid a "white van man" to dispose of rubbish for you? This often ends up being dumped in the Hills and can...
13/10/2026

Have you ever paid a "white van man" to dispose of rubbish for you? This often ends up being dumped in the Hills and can result in a prosecution for you, not the van owner. We would like to encourage everyone to dispose of their waste responsibly. Use only trusted services or arrange your own trip to your local recycling centre or dump. Local Councils can also arrange kerbside collection for bulkier items that may not fit in your car.

Find out more by visiting our website:
https://belfasthills.org/get-involved/record/

Bookings are now live for our online talk next month with Dr Jim Bradley. Future of the Belfast Hills: Lessons from the ...
12/10/2026

Bookings are now live for our online talk next month with Dr Jim Bradley. Future of the Belfast Hills: Lessons from the Past will look to the future of the Belfast Hills and what lessons can be taken from the past going forward.

Tuesday 10 November, 7pm - 8pm

The talk is free to attend and you can register on our website:
https://belfasthills.org/events/future-of-the-belfast-hills/

Standing stones are dotted right across the island of Ireland. Whilst little is known of their original purpose, there ...
11/10/2026

Standing stones are dotted right across the island of Ireland. Whilst little is known of their original purpose, there is much speculation about the variety of functions they may have had, for example for ritual or ceremonial purpose. The original meaning may have been lost to the mists of time, however we can note that the location of this standing stone on Divis has great significance.

The top of Divis was one of the first places to be mapped for the Ordnance Surveys of Ireland in the 1800s. Prior to this, earlier maps show that three original townland boundaries met at the exact point where this stone stands on Divis. These three townlands are Altigarron, Ballygomartin and Divis. The standing stone perhaps can be seen as an early equivalent to modern day trig points – a marker that denotes a significant landmark. As three was also a significant number in Celtic paganism, perhaps this signifies a spiritual significance to the stone.

Today is World Mental Health Day. The theme this year is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”. Why not se...
10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day. The theme this year is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”. Why not set yourself the goal of getting out into the Hills this week, whatever the weather, and see how it changes your mood.

Numerous studies have proven that spending time in nature is good for both physical and mental health Movement can help our bodies to relax and being surrounded by nature can be very grounding. Taking time out to simply observe our surroundings without feeling the need to rush somewhere can help promote feelings of calm.

Plan your visit to the Hills by visiting our website where you will find a range of routes to suit all abilities:
https://belfasthills.org/visiting/hills/

We have seen snippets of our Industrial Heritage of the Belfast Hills Map popping up across the internet this week so th...
08/10/2026

We have seen snippets of our Industrial Heritage of the Belfast Hills Map popping up across the internet this week so thought we would share the full thing. This map illustrates how the rivers of the Belfast Hills powered the industrial revolution of the city below. It represents a snapshot of the late 1800s when Belfast gained the nickname “Linenopolis” due to the city’s status as the linen capital of not just Ireland, but the world.

Address

9 Social Economy Village, Hannahstown Hill
Belfast
BT170XS

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+442890603466

Website

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