Weds 18th Dec
​Xmas dander up Divis



​Unfortunately it didn't work out weather wise for our Christmas dander this year - very windy with a definite chill factor to begin with turning quite wet towards the end. However, 6 brave ( or mad!!) Spartans started out to walk the Ridge Trail.  There should have been 7 but one Spartan ( E.P.) got lost in West Belfast and probably caused a security scare as she drove erratically along bus lanes, made numerous U-turns and stopped random passers by to ask for directions.  She was probably watched very carefully on CCTV!!!  Glad to report that she did make it to the Standing Stones lodge for lunch.  Maybe you should ask Santa to bring you a Sat Nav this Year EP - lol!!!

Weds 11th Dec
​Rea's Wood

A lovely dry sunny day for a walk through Antrim s Enchanted Garden. Elves , owls, fairies and tree climbing badgers lined our route. Shame that we were too early for the bright fairy lights and braziers!
We walked along the banks of the Sixmilewater and a short road section before hitting the Lough shore and then the river again. 
We ended the day with a lovely meal , Christmas crackers and joke telling in Massereene Golf Club.
A good day was had by all!
​Isobel

Weds 27th Nov
​Stormont Estate
Helen led a record number of 31 Spartans round the interesting paths and sculptures of Stormont/Belmont Estates.  The large turnout was probably due to some extent of the fact that we had booked the Parliament Buildings for lunch.  And what a lunch it turned out to be - a thoroughly excellent meal with great service and ambiance

Weds 13th Nov
​Carnfunnock

16 of us met in Ballygalley on a cool but bright day. We ambled up Daffodil Lane and had great views of Sallagh Braes from the little forest and Droagh motte.  We proceeded over the hill and admired the views east of Islandmagee and The Maidens.
We returned to Ballygalley passing the Ice house and Lime Kilns.
A lovely meal was enjoyed by all in Ballygalley Castle Hotel ( where thankfully no ghosts were spotted!)

Weds 30th Oct
​Clare Glen

Weds 23rd Oct
​Newtownabbey Way

A group of 9 Spartans met for this walk on a pleasantly mild and dry autumnal morning- the walk was additional to the normal fortnightly schedule and,as such,a useful indicator of potential demand for a weekly walk- the relatively low turnout possibly indicates a general happiness with the existing fortnightly pattern.
We walked the 3 miles downhill to the foreshore through the 3 parks admiring the autumnal foliage, and stopping for a few minutes at the Bleachgreen Viaduct to marvel at the engineering genius of its construction almost 100 years ago.
On the way back we took a detour through the forested area and enjoyed the wood sculptures and enjoyed the antics of a squirrel ( a grey one unfortunately, the reds wiped out in this area ). 
Back at the car park we repaired to the Yarns bistro for an agreeably priced lunch.

Desmond Smyth.

Weds 18th Sept
​Dundrum



​There were 11 of us on Wednesday to do the Wateresk Hill walk. This is a circular walk of about 6 miles starting at Dundrum Castle. It was a really beautiful day & the views were many & stunning. The walk is mostly on country roads with a section of loanin’ where we came across a menagerie of 2 goats, 2 sheep, 2 pigs, 2 donkeys & a mule. The pigs were very friendly & insisted on tummy-rubs. We finished off with a tasty lunch in the Blue Bay Café.  Jessica

Weds 21st Aug
​Trassey to Newcastle

It was more in hope than expectation that eight brave Spartans mustered at Newcastle Bus Station on Wednesday August 21 to board the 10.00 Ulsterbus Mourne Rambler to Trassey track. Although it was a warm and pleasant morning, with even some sunshine, the warnings from the Met Office were ominous. Expect strong winds and heavy rain during the afternoon.
Perhaps we should have run a sweepstake on the timing of the first sign of “organised rain” as they call it nowadays. As it happened, we had dry weather for the trek up to Hares Gap, where we partook of first lunch, and it stayed rainless as we made our way along the Brandy Pad, although we were aware that the wind was strengthening and the cloud was lowering on the higher peaks.
Safely over the rather exposed stile at the coll between Commedagh and Donard and we took shelter on the Newcastle side of the wall to enjoy our second lunch. A handful of courageous walkers could be seen on the lower slopes of Donard, the peak of which was by this stage well shrouded in cloud.
At 1.30pm the first spits and spots arrived – a harbinger of the more serious rain which arrived shortly thereafter, accompanied by even stronger but warmish southerly winds. We gathered everything up, donned our leggings and waterproof jackets and made swiftly for the path down to Glen River.
On our descent we encountered members of a group of 23 who were raising funds for Marie Curie with a sponsored climb of Donard, all glad to be on the downward path at this stage and all looking none the worse for their ascent. The stone stairs help everyone up and down the upper section to the coll and further down, we were interested to meet a three-strong National Trust team who were busy repairing and extending the path close to the forest. We complimented them on their work and reflected on how challenging it must be to carry tools and shovels so far up the mountain simply to start work.
The path down from the upper bridge in Donard Wood is a bit of a mess following recent clearing of the woodland. A mass of wet mud, exposed rocks and roots and lots of tripping hazards, so we were pleased to meet up lower down with a team from Mourne Heritage Trust who were busy creating an attractive pathway, using tree trunks as steps and filling in with loose gravel. Once that work is completed it should make the descent a lot more straightforward. Good to know that Spartans’ regular donations to Mourne Heritage are helping this work.
We were pleased to reach the shelter of the woodland and soon we were down at car park level, and making a beeline for Niki’s Café for our afternoon tea. The rain had not eased although the temperature increased as we made our descent. It was a good test of walker and equipment, although we did look somewhat bedraggled as we crossed the threshold of Niki’s.
Suitably refreshed we donned our wet gear again for the final stroll along the promenade. With the sea in full cry at high tide and the wind on our backs, it was an invigorating final furlong in the driving rain. Total distance covered on the hills was 12.6km (7.6miles) plus maybe another half-mile for the prom. The high point was 1,823ft (using Jacob Rees-Mogg imperial measure) at Slieve Beg.
Thanks to all those who participated – a Wednesday morning walk with a difference!
ROBIN MORTON

Weds 14th August
​St Patrick's Way trails


​
​The weather was not very friendly to walkers but 7 intrepid souls turned up despite the drizzle. We walked a six-mile loop around Lough Money on a mixture of lanes, tracks & roads. Part of the route is on St Patrick's Way. In places it was a bit grassey/ferny/nettley/brambly - even more so than a few weeks ago when we did a reccy - but we brought along our resident bramble-thrasher [he knows who he is] & managed to fight our way through. As it has been a bit wet recently - there were a few puddles on the roads but none over the boots. This is a lovely rural walk with some nice scenery & good paths - usually. It has been suggested that the next time we walk it we do so just after St Patrick's Day - when it will be well trampled for us. Jessica

Weds 7th August
​Comber Greenway



​Seventeen Spartans enjoyed a stroll along the Comber Greenway to the Billy Neill Centre following a loop around the paths and tracks there with great views of the surrounding countryside. Sunshine all the way! The return walk along the greenway was followed by lunch in Comber.

​Mary and Stephen

Weds 10th July
​The Moat Pad & Adder's Loanin



​It was a lovely day & 5 walkers turned up. This walk is 5.5 miles round, starting & ending at the Windy Gap carpark which means a stout uphill to finish. The route is on road, farm lane & track & there are numerous beautiful views*, both near & far. We even saw a red kite which displayed very nicely for us. Lunch was at The Turnip House where we had delicious soup & home-made scones, plus a look around the craft shop.

​Jessica

Weds 12th June
​Divis

A huge thank you to David Flinn from Spartan Red Sox who helped us to brave the weather last night for A walk on Divis. This event was delivered in partnership with Belfast City Council to launch a new walking publication A walk in the park. 
Thanks, also to Dr. Jim Bradley from Belfast Hills Partnership who was on hand with the many points of interest on site! We managed to walk sections of the Lough, Heath and Summit Trails.

Weds 1st May
Killynether/Scrabo




​It was a beautiful day for our walk around Killynether Wood followed by Scrabo Tower and Hill.  The wood was carpeted with loads of fragrant bluebells and bright yellow whins.  We had great views of the Co Down Drumlins and Strangford Lough as we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings of this former estate of mixed woodland planted in the mid 19th Century.  Then it was on up the hill to look at the 41m tower built in 1857 as a memorial to the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry before making our way along the path around scrabo hill to visit the abandoned sandstone quarries.  We finished off with a lovely lunch at The Old Mill.  Marian

Weds 17th April
Galgorm and Gracehill


21 Spartans enjoyed a walk along Ballymena's River Maine combined with a sightseeing tour of NI's best preserved Moravian settlement, Gracehill. This  included 'God s acre', its very atmospheric grave yard! We then headed for a walk up and then downstream along the River Braid to help develop a good appetite for lunch. 
So 7 miles after we set off we returned to Creative Gardens eatery for some very nice food. A little shopping may have followed lunch as folk admired Galgorm Castle's beautiful walled garden in the warm sunshine.  Isobel

Weds 20th March 2019
​Killyleagh




This walk was a mixture of country & coast. Starting at Killyleagh Castle we headed off towards Shrigley, then turned west towards Crossgar & then turned south to walk along quiet country roads, past a fishing lake, across the Killyleagh / Downpatrick road & down to Gibbs Island on Strangford Lough. Then we walked into Delamont Country Park & stopped at the viewpoint to take in the panorama of the Mourne Mountains & the southern end of Strangford Lough. We then returned to Killyleagh via Shore Road & finished with lunch in Picnic.

​Jessica
​

Weds 6th March 2019
​Orlock to Ballyholme




We met up in Ballyholme & transferred to Orlock where a few more walkers joined us – making 17 in total. Starting at Orlock the path was a bit muddy due to the recent wet weather. However the day was fine and the walking was good. We nearly lost a few folk in Groomsport but they were recovered ok. The tide was well in by the time we reached Ballyholme Bay so we had to squelch through the seaweed at the top of the beach. To finish off we gathered in the Starfish Café in Ballyholme for a yummy lunch.

​Jessica








​

Weds 20th Feb
​Cave Hill

Weds 6th Feb
​Mount Stewart

We gathered in the car park at Mount Stewart on a bright and sunny day. Eighteen of us set off to have a walk round the domain on the far side of the main entrance up to the Temple of the Winds where the clouds in the distance prevented the usual clear view of the Mournes. The walk continued round the perimeter through some very attractive trees looking splendid for the most part without any leaves on. Pausing when we were in the open again we were surprised by the sudden appearance of Robin Morton and David Wiggins.They were late arriving because they were on their way to Castle Ward because they thought we were walking there ! Full marks to them for guessing where we had gone and then catching us up. We continued on various attractive pathways without repeating ourselves to the car park and thence to the café. We must have created a good appetite as they ran out of one of the soups.
We have learned that they are opening a further 4miles of trails over the other side of the estate with a new carpark by Easter. This should provide us with some excellent walks in the future. Peter

Weds 23rd Jan
​Antrim - Rea's Wood






​A little slippy underfoot in places for the x17 of us who met at Antrim Lough shore.  
We skirted along the north shore of Lough Neagh and the banks of the Sixmilewater, taking in Antrim Technology park and Antrim Castle Gardens.
It was a crisp, bright day and we enjoyed good chat before retiring to Massereene Golf club with its lovely food and views (and more chatter!).

​Isobel

Weds 9th Jan
North Down Coastal Path

The weather was great and the company convivial, but the real talking point among the 19 Spartans who participated in the first Wednesday walk of the New Year was the travel misadventure that befell two of their number. Two of our group – let’s call them David and Bernard to spare their blushes – had followed the option of boarding the train at Great Victoria Street Station for the journey to the starting point at Carnalea.
So good was the conversation that it was as they were passing Balmoral station that they wondered which route the train was taking. Suddenly they heard the announcement that they were on the Portadown train. A quick disembarkation at Dunmurry and a walk to the other platform – and in no time at all they were on the Bangor train, albeit an hour later than the one they’d meant to catch. 
Happily our group was re-united at Seahill, where the “Translink Two” were happily sitting on a bench awaiting our arrival. Much good-natured hilarity ensued and our two friends took the banter in good part. But what had they missed (apart from the train)? Why, a lovely walk along the coast in bright sunshine from Carnalea to the Woodlands Café where we enjoyed morning coffee.
A group photo was taken at Helen’s Bay, where we rubbed our eyes as we saw two cold water bathers emerging from the brink – and looking as if they had enjoyed their dip. No wet suits, needless to say. 
As we continued our walk, we enjoyed the views up Belfast Lough – remarking that it was something of a treat as most of us habitually walk from the Holywood end. With the magnificent period of high pressure holding firm, the sea was a flat calm. The chat was good and we made good time.
We had left Carnalea around 10.45 and arrived more or less on time at the Dirty Duck in Holywood at 1.45pm where a table for 16 had been reserved. The view up the coast was magnificent, the food was up to its usual standard and we all relaxed, knowing the hard work had been done. Evidently we had covered 20,000 steps, with a few more to come as we returned to Holywood railway station to catch the 15.17 train home. And yes, David and Bernard did manage to catch the right train.
ROBIN MORTON