When planning a stay in Cookstown, you can consider culture and nature as two areas of focus. The destinations featured here range from prehistoric stone structures and historic houses to walking paths, forest trails and a seasonal stargazing experience. This makes it easy to tailor your choices according to whether you are most interested in archaeology, walking routes or cultural events.
History in Stone and Castle
The Beaghmore Stone Circles comprise seven stone circles, ten stone rows and twelve stone cairns. The area shows evidence of settlement from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. This brings both the different forms of the structures and the long history of settlement into focus.
A later period is represented by Killymoon Castle: the present castle was built in 1802, after the earlier castle was destroyed by fire in 1801. Lissan House also has a long family history. It remained the home of the Staples family for almost 400 years. In spring 2012, Lissan House opened its doors and showcased interactive exhibitions and original furnishings belonging to the family.
Choose Routes by Duration and Distance
The circular walk through Cabin Wood takes about 30 minutes and is suitable for pushchairs. If you prefer to use distance as a guide, Lough Fea has a 4.15-kilometre path around the lake. Davagh Forest offers walking and mountain biking trails for different ability levels; the Davagh Forest Trails also include a 16-kilometre red trail. The time given for Cabin Wood and the distances given for the other routes provide different points of reference for planning.
Sections of the Davagh Forest Trails may be temporarily diverted during forestry work. The area around Cabin Wood provides habitat for red deer and fallow deer: the animals live in the surrounding parklands and can also enter Cabin Wood. Lough Fea has a children's play area and toilet facilities. Alongside the routes, wildlife that can be observed and the facilities at the lake offer other distinct options to consider.
Dark Skies and Seasonal Experiences
Davagh Forest is an International Dark Sky Park and is also home to the OM Dark Sky Observatory. The Stars and Stones experience combines exploring the ancient Beaghmore Stone Circles with observing constellations through a state-of-the-art telescope. It also includes an interactive Solar Walk. The experience is available seasonally, from October to March. This period is a clear difference to bear in mind when planning a trip, compared with cultural programmes offered year-round.
Cultural Events and Other Interests
The Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre offers concerts, comedy, children's performances, dance, drama, community arts and visual arts throughout the year. The cultural offering therefore extends beyond historic buildings and archaeology to include an ongoing events programme.
The grounds of Lissan House also feature a challenging adventure playground for children. Together with the children's play area at Lough Fea, this is another difference between the destinations mentioned; the two facilities are in separate locations. When choosing your stay, you can therefore weigh up history, nature trails, seasonal stargazing experiences and cultural events as separate interests.
Discover more destinations: Pomeroy, Stewartstown.
For the main travel overview: Cookstown.
