Plenty of walks in district for festival

ON SUNDAY, October 1, two walks will take place in New Ross and Lacken Hill for the Wexford Walking Trail Festival.

The first walk, at 10 a.m. is on the Lacken Hill – Millstream Trail and is a four-hour, 15km guided trail starting at Mannion’s Pub.

A section of the walk will be led by local historian Jenny Nuttall. Complimentary refreshments will be provided at Mannion’s pub and walkers can then enjoy a walk in the gardens of Woodville House.

The second walk of the day will take place at 12 p.m. in the Dunbrody Forest, Lacken Hill. This forty-minute, easy walk is an outing for the entire family. To add to the fun for the children who attend, there is face painting by Craft Central (€2 per child) and a botanical treasure hunt.

At 2.30pm, walkers can enjoy a guided tour of the Ros Tapestry. Booking is essential, entry is €5 per person. The tapestries depict events around the Anglo-Norman arrival to the South East of Ireland and specifically the founding of the town of New Ross by William Marshall and Isabel de Clare on fifteen hand-stitched panels, each measuring 6 x 4 feet.

For the duration of Sunday afternoon, the Dunbrody Famine Ship is offering discounted tour rates to walkers. A discount ticket will be provided to walkers at registration. Take a step back in time to walk in the footsteps of 19th Century Irish Famine Emigrants and hear the story of this important period of Irish history.

On Saturday two walks are planned on the Tintern Trails. The first is an 8km stroll along by the Tintern stream and into the Colclough Walled Garden. Registration for this walk is at 2.30pm in Vine Cottage Car Park, Saltmills. The walk will be followed by complimentary refreshments in Colclough Memorial Hall, Saltmills and a photographic introduction to Tintern.

For the more adventurous the second walk is a night time ramble along some of the Tintern Trails. This 5km walk offers an opportunity to experience the magic of the woodlands at night time. Registration for the walk is at 9.45pm in Vine Cottage Car Park. High-viz jackets and torches are advisable.

For more information visit www.wexfordwalkingtrail.ie/festival. Walkers are requested to register in advance if possible by emailing wexfordwalkingtrails@gmail.com.