Visit Mountsandel Fort in Coleraine

Located in the middle of the gorgeous Mountsandel Forest is the remains of Mountsandel Fort. The Fort is a State Care Historic Monument which dates back to 7000BC and the early Mesolithic and Iron Ages. It sits on the edge of a steep river bluff which falls into the River Bann. You can reach it via a 2 mile circular walking trail taking either a lower or upper path through the forest and along the banks of the River Bann.

The forest is gorgeous. Beautiful walking paths take you all throughout the forest and to Mountsandel Fort. The forest itself is on the banks of the River Bann. There is a small jetty which gives you an excellent view of both the ‘New Bridge’ which is officially called the Sandelford Bridge (1975) and the ‘Old bridge’ which is named the Bann Bridge (1844). The walk from the carpark down to the jetty is a gentle walk for those who are physically fit. The remains of the fort also provide a fun time for children and adults who love to run and play.  You can walk or run all around the grassy large edges and into the central dip.  You get an amazing view over the River Bann and what’s known locally as the ‘Waterside’ of Coleraine.

• Mountsandel has been dated in the Mesolithic period
• 4,500 years before Stonehenge
• 5000 years before the pyramids
• 7000 years before the building of the Great Wall of China