Glen River (County Down)

Not to be confused with Glen River, County Donegal.

54°11′24″N 5°54′50″W / 54.190°N 5.914°W / 54.190; -5.914

The Glen River, Newcastle

Glen River is a short river in County Down, Northern Ireland. The two-mile (3.2 km) course flows north-east from the foot of Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains into Dundrum Bay at Newcastle, descending 1,500 feet (460 m).[1]

It is quite a fast-flowing river with many small waterfalls and deep pools. The bedrock is composed of granite in the upper parts, becoming dark shale lower down.[2] It flows through Donard Forest and Donard Park and is crossed by five bridges. The path that runs alongside the river is commonly used by walkers climbing Slieve Donard.[3]

There is an unusually prominent ice house beside the river, just before it enters the forest. It was built by the third earl of Annseley in the 1830s to serve his Donard lodge residence.[4]

  • The mouth of the river
    The mouth of the river
  • The Donard Icehouse
    The Donard Icehouse
  1. ^ Evans, Emyr Estyn (1967). Mourne Country: Landscape and Life in South Down. Dundalgan P. p. 18.
  2. ^ Turnbull, Ronald (2010). Granite and Grit: A Walker's Guide to the Geology of British Mountains. frances lincoln ltd. p. 10. ISBN 9780711231801.
  3. ^ Dillon, Paddy (2010). The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits. Cicerone Press Limited. p. 210. ISBN 978-1852841102.
  4. ^ Carson, Charles J. T. (2009). Technology and the Big House in Ireland: C. 1800 - C. 1930. Cambria Press. p. 123. ISBN 9781604976359.