Ballykelly Forest was Northern Ireland’s first state forest; it was acquired in 1910. Along with short forest trails, a flat coastal path along Lough Foyle and distinctive local history, Ballykelly offers several different ways to shape a stay.
Forest Trails and Shore Path
Several short trails run through Ballykelly Forest on the north and south sides of the A2, immediately west of Walworth and Ballykelly. The forest is a working forest, and conditions there can affect the trails. Check current trail conditions before visiting.
A second trail option follows the sea wall between Ballykelly and the Roe Estuary on the eastern side of Lough Foyle. This coastal path is flat. The forest trails are short, while the shore route is defined by its course along the wall: the two nature experiences can therefore be distinguished by the character of their routes.
Church Ruins and Literary Connections
At the western end of Plantation Road in Ballykelly are the ruins of Walworth Plantation Church. They stand within an enclosed graveyard bounded by a rubble-stone wall. Inside the church, a round-headed, moulded sandstone arch separates the nave from the chancel. The site thus combines the graveyard’s outer enclosure with a clearly articulated interior design.
Ballykelly’s literary connections also span two generations: Samuel Hamilton, John Steinbeck’s maternal grandfather, was born in Ballykelly in 1830. Steinbeck himself visited the village in 1952. Hamilton’s birthplace and Steinbeck’s later visit provide distinct points of connection to the writer’s family history and travels.
Airfield and Hangar
Ballykelly Airfield was built as a satellite airfield for nearby Limavady and opened on 1 June 1941. A later chapter is the hangar at Shackleton Barracks in Ballykelly: built in the mid-1960s, it housed Shackleton maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The two sites mark the difference between the airfield’s early role and the hangar’s later use.
The hangar is supported by a steel-framed cantilever structure. Its balanced anchor-cantilever design is considered unique in the context of Northern Ireland and rare in the wider United Kingdom. In this way, its aviation function is combined with a distinctive architectural feature.
The exhibition concept for the Shackleton and Aviation Museum sets out to explore the aviation history associated with Ballykelly Airfield. Its planned content includes various exhibits and media, as well as the aircraft and units based at Ballykelly Airfield. Its educational objectives include aviation history, aviation heritage and aviation culture in Ireland; planned formats include meetings, talks, courses and exhibitions.
Plan Your Stay
Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Ballykelly can decide in advance what they want to focus on during their stay: short forest trails and a flat shore path sit alongside the architecture of the church ruins and the aviation history of the airfield and hangar.
Discover more destinations: Limavady, Dungiven.
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