THE CAVE HILL CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN

SITE INDEX

About the Campaign

The Cave Hill Conservation Campaign is a voluntary group of approximately 100 people based in Belfast. It was founded in 1989 to counter the threat of a prospecting licence for the mineral zeolite being issued for the Cave Hill. The Campaign organised a petition which attracted over 11,000 signatures and helped to see off the threat of mining in the area. Today, the Campaign operates through an active committee which meets monthly. We can be contacted by email at cavehill@freeuk.com

The committee has thirteen members, including the four office-holders who are:

The Campaign's objectives are as follows:

• To secure the preservation of the Cave Hill as a natural and unspoiled environment.
• To encourage public access for appropriate purposes.
• To encourage Belfast City Council (the principal landowner) to adopt an environmentally-friendly management strategy for the Cave Hill.
• To oppose all intrusive development.
• To support the creation of a Belfast Hills Trust.
• To oppose further degradation of the Belfast Hills.
• To support the implementation of environmentally friendly policies for the Belfast Hills.
• To support the creation of public rights of way across the Belfast Hills.

We try to ensure that the Cave Hill's natural environment and public amenity value are protected and, where possible, enhanced. We produce a periodic newsletter, The Cave Hill Campaigner, which keeps members and others up to date with current issues affecting the Cave Hill and the Campaign's activities. Other activities include: 

• Organising volunteering activities, such as removing litter, planting trees and clearing invasive species.
• Opposing inappropriate development proposals.
• Collecting data on patterns of use of the Cave Hill, and users' views, by carrying out user surveys.
• Seeking to influence relevant statutory bodies, such as Belfast City Council.
• Seeking to promote the adoption of a comprehensive management strategy for the Cave Hill.
• Working with the other Belfast Hills groups on the Belfast Hills Partnership. 
• Developing this website as a reliable and up to date source of information about the Cave Hill, in the context of the other Belfast Hills.

About the Cave Hill

The Cave Hill dominates the skyline on the northern edge of Belfast. It stretches from Hazelwood in the north to Carr's Glen in the south. Most of its lower east side is comprised of the Belfast Castle Estate. The Cave Hill rises to almost 370 metres (1,200 feet) above sea level and offers superb panoramic views over Belfast and the surrounding areas. (For comparison, Slieve Donard is about 2,800 feet, Mount Snowdon is 3,560, Ben Nevis is about 4,400, Mont Blanc is 15,800 and Mount Everest about 29,000.) To the east is Belfast Lough and the North Down peninsula. To the south lie the Mourne Mountains. To the north and west lie the Antrim hills and the Sperrins. Roughly 25 miles to the north-east lies the Mull of Galloway on the south-west tip of Scotland. This is a view of McArt's Fort from the north.

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Geologically, the Cave Hill is at the southern end of the Antrim Plateau, which was largely formed about 65 million years ago (yes, just at the end of the age of the dinosaurs) by great lava eruptions that continued for millions of years. The basalt rock which resulted was worn down by subsequent ice ages and weathering into the smoother formations seen today.

The Cave Hill was formerly known as Ben Madigan, probably after a local chieftain who died in 855 AD. McArt's Fort is probably named after Art O'Neill, a sixteenth century chieftain of the family who held the land around Cave Hill. In 1603 this land was granted by King James 1 to Arthur Chichester, later the Earl of Donegall. McArt's Fort has an older name, Lios Tulach Ard, the fort of the high mound. There are five caves (four visible from below) which are man-made, cut from the basalt. The lowest is accessible from the Sheep's Path. The caves were not permanently occupied, but may well have been used as temporary refuges.

There are a number of sites of archaeological interest on the Cave Hill, dating back to the stone age. These include several ringforts (raths) and a lake dwelling (crannog) at Hazelwood. McArt's Fort is on the highest point which is popularly (but inaccurately) known as Napoleon's Nose. It is likely that this was used for ceremonial rather than defence purposes and it appears to date from about three thousand years ago.

The Cave Hill is the second most northerly of the Belfast Hills which will form the operational area of the Belfast Hills Partnership. The most northerly is Carnmoney Hill, and the other main hills, traveling southwards, are Squires Hill, Divis Mountain, Black Mountain, Collin and Slievenacloy. Most of this area is agricultural, with hill farming the main activity. The Belfast Hills range over four local authority areas, namely Antrim, Newtownabbey, Belfast and Lisburn. Only Cave Hill and Collin Glen have public park status, guaranteeing public right of access. The significance of this was brought into stark prominence when the annual Belfast Hills Walk from Collin Glen to Cave Hill, scheduled for Sunday 30 May 1999, had to be greatly shortened at the last moment due to the refusal of one farmer to allow the walk to cross two metres of his land. The walk was confined to Collin and Divis.

The Hill contains a variety of habitats. These include heather moorland, rocky outcrops and mixed woodland. Most of the trees are less than 100 years old, but there are many mature specimens. There has been extensive planting of native species, especially oak, within the last 20 years. The trees are mostly deciduous - ash, beech, birch and rowan are numerous - but there is also a good population of mature scots pine. Smaller growing species include hazel, elder, hawthorn, blackberry and ferns. The area is rich in wild flowers - the better known species include bluebells, primroses, wild garlic, wood anemone, lesser celandine and herb robert. The hazlewood area above the zoo is one of the most important habitats on Cave Hill.

There is also a considerable range of wildlife. Mammal species include foxes, badgers, grey squirrels, hedgehogs, rabbits, shrews and bats. Bird species include owls, kestrels and sparrowhawks as well as the full range of woodland birds such as blackbirds, thrushes, finches, tits, robins, dunnocks and wrens. In summer, there are swallows and house martins. The heather moorland has skylarks, wheatears and pipits.

The Hill is popular with walkers and joggers. There are eight waymarked trails, which range from short easy strolls to challenging 5 mile treks over the summit. There are five access points - Hightown Road, Carrs Glen, Upper Cavehill Road, Belfast Castle and Hazelwood.

Threats to the Environment of the Cave Hill

In recent years a number of inappropriate development plans have been dropped, after public protest led by our Campaign. These have included a proposal for a cable car and a proposal to develop three acres in the grounds of Belfast Zoo and build a 135 bedroom hotel . This only failed to materialise due to a late breakdown in negotiations between the Council and the developer. An earlier proposal to build chalets in the vicinity of Belfast Castle did not get so far, but should not have seen the light of day. The most recent scheme is to re-zone the old zoo area for development.

Ongoing threats and nuisances include:

Erosion / lack of / paths - the most notable problem is the scree in the Sheep's Path area below McArts Fort. This is the main access route to McArt's Fort from Belfast Castle and is in a dangerous condition. As a result, greater pressure is being put on alternative routes. Although there is a network of paths on the lower slopes, there are no stone paths on the summit area above the caves and to the right of the caves at the foot of the escarpment.

Invasive tree and plant species - sycamore trees are prolific spreaders and they reduce the ground flora because of their heavy shade. There is a similar problem with laurel and rhododendron. We are now involved in an ongoing control programme.

The crow population - especially magpies - has grown considerably in recent years and is now a threat to the numbers and diversity of other woodland birds. In springtime, magpies are prolific nest raiders, taking both eggs and fledglings.

Vandalism - not extensive, but can be very destructive at times, such as when fires are started on the heather moorland.

Scramblers - motor bike scramblers and quads cause a great deal of damage to paths and pose a noisy physical threat to walkers and joggers. Their use in the Country Park is illegal but the law is not enforced effectively. Mountain bikes also cause damage to the paths but are more environmentally acceptable.

These problems should be addressed by the implementation of an appropriate management strategy for the Cave Hill. For example, invasive species can be controlled in the same way that the rhododendron population in the Castle Estate was reduced in the late 1970's. This resulted in a great regeneration of the ground flora, such as bluebells. Periodic culls may be necessary to control the crow population. There are great opportunities for further planting of native tree species and for establishing wild flowers, both of which will encourage wildlife.We are pleased to learn that a comprehensive management strategy drawn up by the Parks Department of Belfast City Council is now expected to be in place by March 2008.

A proposed management strategy entitled A Vision of the Cave Hill Country Park was submitted to Belfast City Council in July 1999 and can be accessed on this website.

CAMPAIGN NEWS
MAJOR PATHS UPGRADE FOR CAVE HILL
We now understand that all paths will be kept open to walkers throughout this project, which is expected to be completed during the spring. This is the text of the original letter we received from Anne Reid, who is the countryside officer with Belfast City Council. We are pleased that something which we have long campaigned for is now happening, and volunteers are welcome as detailed in the second paragraph of the letter:

"January 2008 brings a helicopter to the Country Park with a delivery of stone and sleepers and a group of keen volunteers to upgrade the current path structure. The work will take place from January to March 2008 and will involve erecting steps, widening paths, constructing drainage channels, clearing vegetation, planting etc. This project has been made possible by funding secured from the Environment and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage Grant Programme, and Belfast City Council. The work is going to be carried out by Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland (CVNI) and will take place from 10 January - 31 March 2008. Whilst these works are ongoing sections of the park will have to be closed to members of the public: Cavehill Country Park, in its entirety, will be closed to members of the public on Thursday 10, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 January 2008, this is due to health and safety reasons when the helicopter is operating across the park. From Sunday 13 January 2008 the path around the Devil's Punchbowl will be closed, it is anticipated that this section will be closed for approximately 6 weeks. There will be signage in place to inform members of the public of path closures and alternative routes, where possible. Belfast City Council is asking members of the public to be patient while these works are taking place.

Community Involvement Belfast City Council are opening this project out and asking members of the local community to come and get involved. The work will be hands on and you will be able to view the finished product which you helped create!! Come along in a group or on your own, it is anticipated to run some weekend projects as well. If you are interested in getting involved please contact Neville Walker/Helen Tomb (CVNI) on 02890645169 or check out www.cvni.org.uk for further details. "

* Old zoo area to be developed?
* Proposed housing development at Saint Clements Retreat House
* Woodland project
* Divis and Black Mountain acquired by National Trust
* Belfast Hills Partnership
* Quad bikes and scramblers - what you can do

Campaign News Archive

Proposal to build on site of old zoo
We were concerned to learn that Belfast City Council has applied to have the old zoo area at Bellevue re-zoned for building purposes with a view to selling it off to the highest bidder. We have written to the council stating our opposition to this proposal. Instead of beiong sold off for apartments, we would like to see this area utilised to provide a walking route from Belfast Castle to the main zoo entrance. It is depressing that the council is continually looking to "develop" the area of the zoo and Hazlewood. It is only three years since the cable car proposal was warmly supported by a number of councillors and a hotel development was also supported prior to that. There does not appear to be any concept of a civic duty to retain public access and amenity value in this area. Selling the land off will no doubt help to keep rates down in the short term but in the long term will reduce further the area of public parkland in Belfast. Unfortunatley, the long term is not something which most councillors seem to concern themselves with.
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Proposal to build houses on the site of Saint Clements Retreat House
We are very concerned to learn that there is a plan to build perhaps sixty houses on the substantial site now occupied by Saint Clements Retreat House (behind Saint Gerards church). This could have a major impact on the environment of the northern part of Cave Hill and surrounding woodland areas. We are aware that there is great concern among the residents of Ben Madigan Park at the potential impact of greatly increased traffic volumes on what has been a quiet residential area until now. We are also aware that one of the residents has succeeded in getting tree preservation orders for every tree on the site. It will be intersesting to see if these orders are respected by the developer when the work takes place.

The photograph shows the St Clements site as seen from MacArt's Fort.

This is the planning application which was submitted on 13 January 2006. We understand that the Redemptorist order intends to sell the site after obtaining outline planning permission for around 65 houses. However, we now understand that the policy statement for the site allows for up to 110 units and that there would be a possibility of an even larger number gaining approval after outline permission was granted. Access is to be from the road between Saint Gerard's church and the community centre and building would take place in 2007. We are concerned that although this appears to be a low-density development, it may escalate to seomething with much higher density and that in any case it will inevitably lead to more encroachment into the Cave Hill Country Park. We would like Belfast City Council to acquire the small strip of forest along the top, which is not scheduled for development, and which would provide an additional buffer area for the existing woodland. We hope that the owners would be prepared to consider this favourably and perhaps to sell this land for a modest sum. We have written to the planners outlining our concerns and will continue to monitor this development.

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Our programme for 2008

• Our AGM is scheduled for Wednesday 28 May at 7.30pm at Fortwilliam Golf Club.
• Cleanup Day will be Saturday 10 May from 2.00 pm - 4.30 pm. Volunteers are welcome.
• Our annual user survey will be Sunday 8 June from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. Again, volunteers are welcome to help with a two hour shift.
• Our annual Quiz Night will be Friday 21 November at Fortwilliam Golf Club.
• We have recently got involved with a nestbox project in the woodland area of the Country Park. This will continue for a number of years, in conjunction with continued tree planting.