Ballycastle Glens Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Scenic river valleys and attractive rocky rivers enclosed by smooth, rounded hills.
• Undulating glen slopes support rough and improved pastures bounded by hedgerows which include gorse.
• Roads follow glen sides linking traditional white farmsteads and newer large farm buildings.
• Coastal town of Ballycastle occupies the mouth of the glens, within a sheltered bay.
• Historic remains including mottes, crosses, raths and standing stones are features.

Landscape Description

The Ballycastle Glens are located to the east of the Causeway Coast, on the north coast. They comprise an attractive series of steep sided valleys, carved from schists, with rocky rivers in the valley bottoms. The glens are enclosed by smooth, rounded hills. Glentaisie and Glenshesk lie either side of the prominent hill of Knocklayd.

The Carey River is set within a more open landscape, and has distinctive terraces associated with its channel at Ballyvoy. The undulating glen sides support small to medium sized rough and improved pastures bounded by hedgerows which often include gorse and thorn, creating a diversity of textures and colours. Degraded stone walls are characteristic of the upper slopes. The valleys have a well vegetated character as trees and broadleaved woodlands are associated with the river corridors and hedgerows. Forestry plantations, with straight harsh edges are a feature of some of the valley sides and link to the extensive plantations on the moorland above.

Roads follow the glen sides linking traditional white farmsteads and newer farms with large prominent barns, and crossing rivers via attractive stone bridges. Long views are available down the glens to the coastal town of Ballycastle, located around the sheltered Ballycastle Bay. There are numerous historic remains such as mottes, crosses, raths and standing stones scattered across the valley sides.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

The high quality of the landscape is reflected by its status as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Steep slopes, long views, and attractive wooded river corridors with low lying wetland areas of sedge and alder make the area very vulnerable to change. New farm buildings are prominent elements in this landscape, and do not integrate well with the traditional small scale farms. On the upper slopes drystone walls are in a poor state of repair. Some forestry plantations have very harsh straight edges which fit poorly with the character of the landscape and, especially where recent felling has occurred, there is evidence of localised degradation. There are views of slopes damaged by peat cutting on the moorlands above.

Principles for Landscape Management

• Forestry plantations in this landscape should be in scale and character with the existing broadleaved woodlands. Irregular edges which include deciduous species, small plantation size and their location on the lower valley sides, avoiding river and stream corridors would be beneficial. Harsh straight edges rising perpendicular to the slopes should be avoided.
• The repair of dry stone walls on the higher valley sides will avoid the need for use of wire fences and help retain an intact landscape structure.
• Hedgerows and woodlands require management for their continual dense and healthy growth. The inclusion of fuchsia in hedgerows around settlements is an attractive characteristic.
• The broader settings to historic features such as standing stones and mottes would benefit from conservation, ensuring that the land use remains open and unforested and that agricultural improvement does not destroy earthworks.
• The attractive landscape mosaics on the valley floors including sedges, alder and flowery meadows, as well as deciduous woodlands, would benefit from conservation.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• The use of traditional materials and styles in new buildings is recommended: small scale stone or white painted stucco with painted red or slate roofs are characteristic. Visual analysis should be carried out before the construction of large new barns, which should always be sheltered by trees. There is minimal scope for new development without altering the landscape character.
• The restoration of old buildings is preferable to the construction of new. Round gate posts are special distinctive features which should be conserved and reflected in new buildings.