A forest park in the Mournes built around a lake, a Scottish-baronial castle mirrored in the water and the National Arboretum — best known for the Peace Maze, said to be one of the world's largest hedge mazes.
What you'll do: ring the bell at the heart of the Peace Maze, walk the level lakeside loop with the castle across the water, wander the National Arboretum and the old Annesley walled garden, and let the children loose in Animal Wood, a natural woodland play space for ages four to eleven. Bike, e-bike and canoe hire, and graded mountain-bike trails, run from the Grange.
How long: allow a good half day — the lake loop is about an hour at a stroll, and the maze, the gardens and the play space fill the rest comfortably.
Come ready: the lakeside path is level and surfaced (a normal buggy and a wheelchair both manage it), but it runs close to open water — keep little ones near you — and the higher forest trails get muddy after rain, so bring grippy shoes.
The castle isn't a house tour. Castlewellan Castle is now a private Christian conference centre — you enjoy the grounds, the lake and the gardens from the outside, not the rooms inside.
Cost & food:free to walk or cycle in; drive and it's a £5 car park that covers the whole park (confirm on the day). For food there's a coffee cart in the main car park and an ice-cream van in summer — a full café is planned but not yet open, so bring a picnic to be sure.
When: gates open 9am daily and close with the season — around 5pm in winter, up to 9pm at the height of summer (closed Christmas Day). The arboretum and walled garden open 10am to sunset. Dogs are welcome on leads, but not in the maze or the play space.
Plan your visit
Can I just turn up? Yes — walking in is free.
The park is free to walk or cycle into. If you're driving, there's a parking charge of £5 a car (a motorbike is £3, a minibus £15 — confirm current rates on the day), and that one ticket covers the lake, the maze and the gardens. Gates open at 9am and close with the season, so on a long June evening you can stay until 9pm, while in deep winter the park shuts around 5pm. There's no booking for a normal visit — you just arrive and go.
Coffee cart in the main car parkToilets, some accessibleLevel, surfaced lake pathPicnic spots by the waterDogs on leads (not in the maze)Bike & canoe hire at the Grange
Good to know before you go:
Food on site is still limited — a coffee cart and a summer ice-cream van rather than a sit-down café. A new café at the Grange courtyard has been in the plans, so it's worth a quick check before you set off, but pack a picnic and you'll never be caught out. The lakeside loop is the pram- and wheelchair-friendly route; the forest and mountain-bike trails higher up are rougher going.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Comfy shoes or welliesThe lake path is easy going, but the woodland trails can be muddy after rain — grippy shoes keep everyone happy.
🧥A coat, whatever the sky's doingRain makes the lake and the trees glow, and there's shelter under the canopy — a light coat means the weather is never a reason to stay in.
🧺A picnicThere are grassy spots and benches by the water. A coffee cart is on site, but a full café isn't open yet, so pack your own lunch to be sure.
🚼The buggy — an ordinary one is fineThe circular lake path is level and surfaced, so a normal stroller rolls round it easily.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Free to walk or cycle in. Parking is charged: £5 a car, £3 a motorbike, £15 a minibus, £50 a coach (confirm current rates on the day). The car ticket covers the whole park, including the maze and the gardens. Bike, canoe and activity hire from the on-site centre are extra.
Hours
Gates open 9am daily and close with the season: roughly 9am–5pm November to February, 9am–6pm March and October, 9am–8pm April and September, and 9am–9pm May to August. Closed Christmas Day. The Annesley Garden and Arboretum open daily 10am to sunset. Confirm on the day.
What you'll see
Castlewellan Lake with the castle across it, the roughly 2.4-mile (3.9 km) circular lakeside walk, the Peace Maze (said to be one of the world's largest hedge mazes), the National Arboretum and Annesley walled garden, Animal Wood natural play space, bike and canoe hire, and graded mountain-bike trails.
The castle
Castlewellan Castle is a Scottish-baronial house, built in the 1850s for the Annesley family and run today as a private Christian conference centre. It isn't a house tour — you visit the grounds, the lake and the gardens, not the inside. It's a striking thing to see across the water all the same.
The Peace Maze
Planted in 2000 from thousands of yew trees as a symbol of peace, with a peace bell at its centre. It's said to be one of the largest permanent hedge mazes in the world, and reaching the bell takes most people around 40 minutes. Dogs aren't allowed in the maze.
Food
A coffee cart runs in the main car park, with an ice-cream van in summer. A full café at the Grange courtyard has been planned but wasn't open yet at the time of writing — check ahead if you're counting on a hot lunch. Otherwise bring a picnic; there are lovely spots by the water.
Toilets
Toilets on site, some wheelchair-accessible.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome on leads around the park, but not in the Peace Maze or the Animal Wood play space.
Accessibility
The circular lakeside walk is one of the more wheelchair- and buggy-friendly forest walks in the Mournes — a wide, even, surfaced path that stays largely level. Accessible toilets are on site. The forest and mountain trails higher up are rougher.
Hire & activities
An outdoor activity centre at the Grange yard offers mountain-bike, e-bike, canoe, kayak and paddleboard hire, plus guided activities. Graded mountain-bike trails start from the same trailhead.
How long
Allow a good half day — the lake loop is around an hour at a stroll, and the maze, gardens and play space easily fill the rest.
Address
Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, County Down, BT31 9BU
Questions
Before you go
Is there a charge?
Walking or cycling in is free. If you drive, parking is £5 a car (confirm current rates on the day), and that ticket covers the lake, the maze and the gardens — no separate entry fee.
Can I get a buggy or wheelchair round?
Yes — the circular lakeside walk (about 2.4 miles) is level and surfaced the whole way, so an ordinary buggy or a wheelchair manages it comfortably. It's one of the friendliest forest walks in the area for wheels. The forest trails higher up are rougher.
Can we go inside the castle?
No — the castle is a private Christian conference centre, not a house tour. You come for the grounds, the lake and the gardens, which are open to walk freely, and the castle is a lovely thing to see across the water.
How big is the Peace Maze?
It's said to be one of the largest permanent hedge mazes in the world, planted from thousands of yew trees in 2000, and it's a genuine highlight for children. Reaching the peace bell at the centre usually takes around 40 minutes — longer if you keep taking the wrong turn, which is half the fun.
Is there food on site?
A coffee cart runs in the main car park, with an ice-cream van in summer. A full café has been in the plans but wasn't open yet at the time of writing, so it's worth checking ahead. Otherwise bring a picnic — there are lovely spots by the water.
Can I hire a bike or a canoe?
Yes — an activity centre at the Grange yard hires out mountain bikes, e-bikes, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, and there are graded mountain-bike trails from the same spot. It's run separately from park entry, so hire and any guided sessions are booked and paid with them.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome on leads around the park. The two exceptions are the Peace Maze and the Animal Wood play space, where they're not allowed.
Getting there
Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, County Down, BT31 9BU — the entrance is right by the town of Castlewellan, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, about four miles from Newcastle. Paid parking on site. Tap below for directions or to check current opening and prices.
Castlewellan grew out of the old Annesley estate, laid out around the lake at the foot of the Mournes. The walled garden dates from 1740 and became the heart of what is now called the National Arboretum, a tree and shrub collection gathered from Japan, Chile, Australia and China — a collection the park's own tourism body ranks among the top three in the British Isles and the finest in Ireland. The Scottish-baronial castle came later, built in the 1850s in local granite for the Annesley family, and it still stands over the water at the top of the lawns.
The Peace Maze is the park's newest chapter. Planted in 2000 from thousands of yew trees — many put in by people from across Northern Ireland — it was designed as a symbol of the path to peace, with a bell at its heart to ring when you find your way through. For a time it was reckoned to be the largest permanent hedge maze in the world, and it remains one of the biggest anywhere.
Today the whole park is cared for by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, and the castle serves as a Christian conference centre, while the lake, the arboretum and that enormous maze belong to everyone who comes to walk them — free on foot, whatever the weather is doing to the mountains behind.