A Local Guide To Dark Hedges and Kings Road
Bregagh Road in Northern Ireland has become a popular spot for photography due to its scenic beauty. The road is also known as the Dark Hedges, featured in the popular TV series, Game of Thrones.
The Dark Hedges are Very Popular
The Dark Hedges, a short road surrounded by farmer’s fields, has gained popularity despite its unassuming appearance. Upon arrival, it may be difficult for visitors driving up the road, unsure if they have reached the correct destination.
Lined with 90 Beech trees, this road has attracted photographers, painters, and tourists for decades due to its unique canopy of overhead twisting branches.
The Dark Hedges is a popular tourist destination known for their haunting beauty, but the increase in tourism has had a negative impact on the area. It may be recommended to visit soon before any further damage occurs.
Where Are the Dark Hedges Located?
The Dark Hedges is a location on a quiet road near Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Bregagh Road is adorned with 90 beech trees that twist and form an arch over the road, making it a popular spot for photography.
In the past year, the branches of the trees surrounding the tunnel have been trimmed, resulting in a slightly less impressive view. However, finding the ideal location is still a remarkable sight, requiring a bit more effort.
Visitors should arrive early to avoid crowds, as tour buses regularly stop here in the afternoon.
Dark Hedges from the Giant’s Causeway
After arriving at The Giant’s Causeway, we went to the Dark Hedges. Our stay at the Causeway Hotel provided ample opportunity to explore the surrounding sights, and our initial visit was to the legendary Dark Hedges.
The Dark Hedges are conveniently located a 30-minute drive from the Giant’s Causeway. Accessible from Ballinlea Road by turning left onto Dark Hedges Road, we stopped a bit prematurely.
At first, we didn’t see what was so special. We tried taking photos for an hour, but they weren’t quite right. Where were the famous pictures of the Dark Hedges? Eventually, we gave up and left.
Upon driving to the other side of the road, we discovered that the best photographs of the Dark Hedges are taken from the Southern End, where there is a bend. It was a missed opportunity not to have done so earlier.
There is a designated parking area for both buses and cars to stop safely, instead of pulling over onto the shoulder.
Gracehill House was built by James Stuart in c.1775 and named after his wife, Grace Lynd. The family planted over 150 beech trees along the estate’s entrance to create an impressive landscape feature. Today, this tunnel of ancient beech trees stretches along the Bregagh Road, creating a unique and tranquil fusion of light and shadow.
The estate surrounding the house has a historical background that dates back to the early 17th century. King James 1 granted the land to a cousin who passed away before he could take possession of his new home. The estate was then passed down to his grandson, William Stuart, and was owned by the Stuart family for several years.
The house and surrounding land have been sold into private ownership, with a portion of the estate transformed into an 18-hole golf course and a hotel known as The Hedges.
The Dark Hedges, a tunnel located in Northern Ireland, has remained magnificent for over two centuries and is now a popular tourist attraction. Many artists and photographers have been inspired by its mysterious and spectacular play of light and tranquillity. Composer Elaine Agnew premiered her Dark Hedges composition at the BBC Proms in 2012.
History of the Dark Hedges
The Dark Hedges is an avenue of mature beech trees, planted around 1775 by James Stuart to frame the avenue leading to his home, Gracehill House. The trees, originally around 150, line both sides of Bregagh Road, forming an imposing tunnel along the roadway.
Today, the Dark Hedges still lead up to the current gates of Gracehill House.
Gracehill House itself is privately owned and operates as a bar & restaurant, wedding venue, and golf course. So you can visit the estate for a drink or meal or play a round of golf while on your trip.
Game of Thrones (GoT) fans should visit Gracehill House during opening hours to see one of the 10 GoT-themed doors, based on the 6th season of the show. The door at Gracehill was carved from one of the Dark Hedges trees that fell during Storm Gertrude in 2016.
The 250-year-old trees are very atmospheric. The stunning organic tunnel of tree limbs crisscrossing the road, made famous by HBOs Game of Thrones, draws thousands of visitors worldwide. Sadly, many of the trees have been lost due to storms and damage (part of the reason the road was closed to traffic in 2017 was due to the damage caused), with just over 90 of the original 150 trees still standing.
Why are they called the Dark Hedges?
From our research, it seems unclear when or why the name of the Dark Hedges was given; however, there are two likely explanations. First, the most obvious answer is that the massive trees block most of the light, resulting in a “dark” tunnel that looks like a hedge.
The other explanation is a bit eerie. Local legend has it that the hedges are haunted by a ghost known as the Grey Lady, who haunts the trees, flitting from one to another before always disappearing at the last beech tree. As the story goes, she is joined by spirits from a nearby ancient graveyard on Halloween!
Whatever the reason, we are sure you will agree it’s a very appropriate name for this stunning location!
GRACEHILL HOUSE
Gracehill House was built by James Stuart in c.1775 and named after his wife, Grace Lynd. The family planted over 150 beech trees along the estate’s entrance to create an impressive landscape feature. Today, this tunnel of ancient beech trees stretches along the Bregagh Road, creating a unique and tranquil fusion of light and shadow.
The estate surrounding Gracehill house has a historical background that dates back to the early 17th century. King James 1 granted the land to a cousin who passed away before he could take possession of his new home. The estate was then passed down to his grandson, William Stuart, and was owned by the Stuart family for several years.
The Stuart family sold the Gracehill house and surrounding land, with a portion of the estate transformed into an 18-hole golf course and a hotel called The Hedges.
The Dark Hedges, a tunnel located in Northern Ireland, has remained magnificent for over two centuries and is now a popular tourist attraction. Many artists and photographers have been inspired by its mysterious and spectacular play of light and tranquillity. Composer Elaine Agnew premiered her Dark Hedges composition at the BBC Proms in 2012.
The Dark Hedges Beech Trees (Fagus sylvatica L.)
A survey was conducted in 2014 on 94 Beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) at the Dark Hedges Estate. The project was funded by The Dark Hedges Preservation Trust and the Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust. The trees’ ages varied from mature to post-mature, estimated at 300 to 350 years. The typical life span of a Fagus sylvatica L. is about 150-200 years.
Mature trees typically have a height exceeding 40m and a large domed crown. Their bark is thin and smooth with a grey colour and slight horizontal etchings. The leaf buds are reddish brown and torpedo-shaped, forming on short stalks and exhibiting a distinctive criss-cross pattern.
The leaves start as lime green with silky hairs and grow darker and lose their hairs as they mature. They range from 4-9cm long, are oval with a pointed tip and have a wavy edge.
Beech trees have male and female flowers on the same tree, growing in April and May. The male catkins hang from long stalks at the end of twigs, while the female flowers grow in pairs and are surrounded by a cup. Once pollinated, this cup becomes woody and encloses one or two beech nuts, or beech mast. Beech trees are wind pollinated.
According to the Woodland Trust, beech trees can survive for hundreds of years, and coppiced stands have been known to survive for over 1000 years.
The beech woodland provides a habitat for various plants and animals, including mammals, birds, and insects.
THE KINGS ROAD
The show that made the Dark Hedges famous was Game of Thrones, the TV adaptation of George R. R. Martins best selling novels. The Dark Hedges was used as “The Kingsroad“in the show.
This Kings Road runs across Westeros, from Kings Landing in the south to “The Wall” in the north.
The Dark Hedges appears as the King’s Road in the Season 2 opening episode “The North Remembers“. In the episode, Arya Stark can be seen escaping from Kings Landing in a caravan that travels through the Dark Hedges along the “Kings Road”.
The Dark Hedge has also appeared in films such as Transformers: The Last Knight in a scene where the magician, Merlin, rides on a horse through the trees.
The Dark Hedges avenue was used as the King’s Road in the HBO series, Game of Thrones.
THE GREY LADY
One of the popular ghost stories of the Dark Hedges involves the grey lady, who is said to move gracefully along the Bregagh Road, floating between the Dark Hedges, disappearing from view once she reaches the final tree.
Local legend has it that a ghostly figure, known as the Grey Lady, is seen walking on Halloween night. There are various beliefs about her origin, including that she is the ghost of a maid or the daughter of James Stuart. Additionally, some speculate that she may be a lost spirit from a nearby graveyard. On Halloween, the graves are opened and other tormented souls join the Grey Lady for her walk.
DARK HEDGES PRESERVATION TRUST
The Department of the Environment (NI) Planning Service issued a Tree Preservation Order on The Dark Hedges in 2004 to protect the trees and allow for necessary road safety measures.
The Dark Hedges Preservation Trust was established in 2009 to safeguard and improve the ancient trees on the Bregagh Road in Stranocum. The Trust aims to preserve an area of significant cultural importance and promote awareness of the trees’ value to the local community. The project has four goals, which include the conservation and enhancement of The Dark Hedges, using the hedges as a learning tool, and improving interpretation around the hedges. The Trust collaborated with the Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust to achieve these aims, aided by Heritage Lottery Funding.
PARKING At The Dark Hedges
Coach/car parking and toilet facilities are accessible at the Dark Hedges Estate, just two minutes from The Dark Hedges. For parking arrangements, please get in touch with the Estate through their website, http://www.darkhedgesestate.com/.
It is recommended to park safely and strategically.
HEALTH & SAFETY
The trees on Bregagh Road are old and often have branches that break. To keep people safe and preserve the trees, the road was closed to cars in October 2017. During or after storms, it’s best to avoid walking under the trees. The Ballinlea Road nearby is a public road with traffic going both ways. Visitors should be aware of this.
LEAVE NO TRACE
To preserve the beauty of The Dark Hedges, visitors are reminded to refrain from leaving any litter or causing damage to the trees.
