Places of Interest

The pyramid

Erected by Lord Garvagh after having been on the Grand Tour of Egypt, this small pyramid is located on high ground in a bluebell wood, west of the car park at Ballinameen Bridge, at the south end of the village of Garvagh.

It was intended as the burial vault for Lord Garvagh but it was never used and the entrance has now been bricked up. The pyramid is 18 feet square at the base and is erected on a raised platform 21 feet square; it is 21 feet high and built of freestone blocks. Now situated within mature forest, on an elevated site, it is a strange edifice in a very peaceful setting. In the spring the hill is covered by bluebells, which add immensely to the setting. Unlike so many monuments the pyramid is close to a public car park and is therefore not difficult to access. Mid May is the best time to visit but at any time of the year those who make the effort will be rewarded.

The Daf stone

Situated in a field close to Moneydig cross roads, some three miles north east of Garvagh, this prehistoric grave of an ancient chief is constructed in the form of a stone lined chist, capped by a large rectangular boulder. Whoever was buried here must have been an important person. It is said that close to the burial site a large number of human remains were discovered in the 19th century and it was widely believed that a battle had taken place in the area in prehistoric times. Perhaps this was the burial place of a chief killed in battle. Certainly his grave has survived for several millenniums and the site has an air of importance even after the ravages of the centuries. At the gateway into the field one of the gateposts is a prehistoric standing stone, probably re-located there to fulfil its present role. This monument can be seen from the road as it is a prominent landmark at the east end of the field.

Garvagh forest

Covering an area of 550 acres, the forest has over seven miles of forest roads. One of the most scenic parts of this forest is the area to the south and west of the pyramid. Here many of the trees are broad leafed and the bluebell woods extend into this area. In the early spring, clumps of the white mayflower and the wood anemone provide a welcome indication that spring is with us yet again. The walk along this stretch of forest road with the trees forming an arch overhead gives the feeling of moving back in time and you glimpse Ulster as it was in past centuries, a gravel path devoid of the noise of modern traffic.

The forest has other areas of peace and tranquillity where all seasons have something to offer the visitor, be it a grey squirrel scampering up a tall tree or one Lord Garvaghs ravens announcing its presence in what was formerly its masters estate.