Ballykelly: Forest Trails and Aviation Heritage

Ballykelly brings together several distinct themes for a stay: short trails in Ballykelly Forest, a flat coastal path along Lough Foyle, and traces of church, aviation, and literary history. When planning, you can first decide whether to focus on a walk through the forest or along the shore. Notable buildings and biographical connections add to the area’s history.

Forest Trails and Coastline

Ballykelly Forest was Northern Ireland’s first state forest; the forest was acquired in 1910. Several short trails run on the north and south sides of the A2, immediately west of Walworth and Ballykelly. For a short walk, you’ll find trails in two areas of the road. As forestry operations can affect the trails, check current trail conditions before your visit.

Another landscape highlight is the coastal path on the eastern side of Lough Foyle. It runs between Ballykelly and the Roe Estuary along the sea wall and is flat. This gives you a choice of different types of route: several short trails in the forest or a flat coastal path. If you’re weighing up the forest and shore as different experiences, this difference in landscape is a helpful distinction.

Church Ruins and Architecture

The ruins of Walworth Plantation Church are in Ballykelly at the western end of Plantation Road. They stand within an enclosed graveyard bounded by a rubble-stone wall. The graveyard and wall are therefore part of the setting of the ruins. Architectural details include a round-headed, moulded sandstone arch separating the nave from the chancel. The transition between the two areas illustrates the layout of the church building: the arch is not just an individual feature, but marks the division between nave and chancel.

Aviation History in Ballykelly

The area’s aviation history is also associated with several specific buildings and dates. Ballykelly airfield was built as a satellite airfield for nearby Limavady and opened on 1 June 1941. At Shackleton Barracks in Ballykelly, there is an aircraft hangar with a steel-framed cantilever structure. It was built in the mid-1960s to house Shackleton maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Its balanced anchored cantilever design is considered unique in the context of Northern Ireland and rare in the wider United Kingdom. The hangar’s design, use, and date give it a distinctive place in the area’s aviation heritage.

The Shackleton and Aviation Museum focuses on the aviation history associated with Ballykelly airfield. This includes aircraft and units that were based there, as well as interpretation through various exhibits and media. The museum’s educational remit also includes organising meetings, talks, courses, and exhibitions. These themes offer a different perspective on local history than the hangar itself: the focus here is on aviation history and its interpretation.

A Literary Connection

Ballykelly is also connected to the family history of writer John Steinbeck. His maternal grandfather, Samuel Hamilton, was born in Ballykelly in 1830. Steinbeck himself visited the area in 1952. For those interested in literature, this offers a brief biographical connection: it begins with Hamilton’s birthplace and continues with the later visit of his grandson. These two events can be understood as different points in time connected to the same place.

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