I guess that the Giant’s Causeway will always be there even if the wind and water change the surface of the rocks in the next million years. The rope bridge is also unlikely to disappear. But there is a place that won’t last long, and it fills my heart with sadness… The Dark Hedges, one of the most photographed locations in Northern Ireland.
Both beautiful and somewhat eerie stretch of the road was known only to the locals until the 1990s! The ancient Beech trees were planted by Stuart family in 1750. Since that time they reached up and across to each other and their entwined branches created a natural arched tunnel. There are about 150 trees left. The people who planted the trees never got to see them in their glory: Beech trees reach maturity at 150 to 200 years. The beautiful Dark Hedges trees are past maturity. They are dying.
Unfortunately I haven’t got to see all the lane, only its southern part. Even if I come another time, the place won’t be the same. There are some diseased trees that have to be felled, and also some dead branches have to be cut off for safety reasons.
There is a qualified tree surgeon appointed to preserve the archway and to meet the safety requirements, and the maintenance works will start in early September. The Bregagh road, home to the famous trees, will be closed for ten days, or for how long it takes. Also brown tourist signs are to be erected which is a great thing because at the moment there are no signs at all.
Their branches are entwined, their roots are entangled. They cannot be separated. It is one body, and if one tree dies, or it is cut down, the others will know.
The Dark Hedges came under threat a few years ago when Roads Service proposed to fell many of the trees for safety reasons. The avenue was taken over by the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust and they are probably doing a good job since the trees are still standing, but that infamous green fence they put up in 2011 has raised many critics. There are hundreds of critical comments and articles about the fence all over the internet, and the words “monstrosity” and “nuts” tell you lots about the Trust and their creation.
I have read these comments, but when I walked the road no ugly fences existed for me, only the serene beauty and the timeless magic of the place, and muted sounds and colors.
It was one hour before the sunset, my favorite time, and all the photographers were getting ready. Look at them in the picture below: they will be busy removing me from their pictures in Photoshop 🙂
Looking through Google images of Dark Hedges I noticed that it is in fashion to take a picture of one’s car or bike with the Dark Hedges in background, and we too witnessed such a photo session. It is all right, but something else really annoyed me. We took the trouble to park in the parking lot and walk down the lane with our gear and the baby. The other visitors parked right in the middle, in the most picturesque place. There was even a van!
Nevertheless I got some beautiful evening light and took pictures I am happy with. The only thing I did in Photoshop was removing cars and excess of joggers 🙂
We had been there about 40 minutes, and you can see the change in the light.
The iconic trees have been featured in a popular HBO’s Game Of Thrones series, Season 2, Episode 1, representing the King’s Road.
I so hope that new saplings will be planted and Dark Hedges will live. Otherwise where would the ghost of the Grey Lady go? I didn’t see the ghost. Too many photographers are hanging around at the dusk and dawn. It could be that the Grey Lady rescheduled her appearances to the worst time for photography – the midday.
This was the first picture I took when I turned around the bend…
…and these were taken when we were leaving.
To get to the Dark Hedges: From Belfast take the M2 north, toward the town of Antrim. Driving around Antrim, take A26 toward Ballymena. About 7 miles past Ballymena look for the A44 toward The Drones/ Armoy/ Ballycastle. After about another 7 miles you pass The Drones village ( just a couple of miles before Armoy) and turn left onto the Bregagh Road. Keep going until you see a lay-by parking lot where you can park. Walk around the bend and there it is! 🙂
Hope you enjoyed this virtual trip to Northern Ireland with me: crossed the bridge, climbed the basalt rocks and walked the avenue of beautiful ancient trees. Thank you for your company! 🙂
Click on the images to enlarge them : it will take a second, they are all resized.
Photography tip of the day: Manual settings for beginners – something to start with.
Aperture: Midday, sun – f16; Any other time, sun – f11; Overcast -f8; Shade – 5.6; Dark shade – 4.5;
The lowest ISO for your camera;
Shutter speed: set it 125 and then regulate up or down.
Move on with your settings after you are comfortable with this simple advice.
Have a great day!
Making memories 
Quite fantastic!
Thank you. Too far from where I live. Those beech trees look like a fire in autumn. I would love to see.
I could easily take 1000 photos there – very awe-inspiring
You would. The bunch of photographers you see in the pictures did annoy me. They didn’t use the parking lot but parked right in the middle of the alley, in the most beautiful place where the road looks like a ribbon. They had no idea about the place, did no research. What a sorry bunch:(
Thank you for linking 🙂
Would love to visit there…beautiful pictures!!
Thank you! I would love to visit there in autumn – love the burgundy red hue of the beech trees foliage.
Thank you for the wonderful tour! I listened to the You Tube video…I read your wonderful words…and then took in your photographs! AMAZING! I have shared your blog with my friends who are photographers and encouraged them to visit your blog. Thank you for your recent visit to my blog! I live in the countryside, outside of Palmyra, Wisconsin, USA. Have a great weekend!
Jane
Thank you so much, Jane. There are some places that are more than they seem. Thank you for spreading a word. I live in Ireland.
Have a happy Sunday!
Inese
You are a wonderful photographer and story teller!! I am especially thankful for the photography lesson as I am very interested in it! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! The tips are simple 🙂 Also, everyone can ask questions 🙂
Wow, that is beautiful. great photographs 😉 I love trees, i have countless photographs of them 😉
Thank you ! I always think that there is something more about trees than it is known to us 🙂
Great pictures, glad to see there is so much beauty in Northern Ireland.
Thank you for stopping by! There is much more. This was a short trip:)
Thank you for visiting my blog “A Picture a Day” at http://jimvaniterson.wordpress.com . Much appreciated.
you welcome 🙂
Oh wow! Incredibly beautiful.
Thank you! 🙂 Some place, isn’t it.
I can imagine those trees in a horrific nightmare. I think I need a drink.
No, it wasn’t a nightmare 🙂 I would stay there over night, really.
Me to. I was just thinking up a reason to have some Bailey’s Irish Cream. LOL 🙂
Ah, a reason-able consumption 🙂
Love it. I have a Bailey’s daily. The coffee flavor is spot on.
🙂
Nice trees, nice shots. Even if allowed to die off, the skeletons of those trees would continue to do their job for generations. All ‘they’ need do is shove up a sign at each end “Enter at own risk” (and mean it).
Thank you for visiting! No, it won’t work like that. This road is in use as any other road, and it is supposed to be safe…
It looks magical. Lovely photos as always. 🙂
Thank you Imelda! You are kind as always 🙂
Tree-mendous!!! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
You’re welcome.
Great trip … thanks 🙂
Thank you Yolanda!
A truly magical post for a magical place. Hugs!
Thank you for stopping by! I started reading your last post but got distracted. Now returning 🙂
How beautiful and how sad that they are dying. I do hope they can save them or at least start replacing them for heritage. I have tentatively traced my ancestors to the County Antrim area in the 1700s and this makes me wonder if they’ve gone down that path among the trees. 🙂
Yes Linda, most of them will die. Some trees live exceptionally long, but this avenue already has many gaps… Won’t be the same in a few years…
It is amazing that you have got the records from 300 years back! great job! 🙂
Thanks for sharing all this. I love trees and these are special. It’s so nice to be able to enjoy things like this. I just got a good camera from my daughter who is up grading but still have to locate the right charger as she lost it. I can’t wait to start taking pictures again (I studied some basic photography at art college).
I’d love to share some of these on my blog (with of course your name and site) but as you are a professional I don’t know if that would be an advertising help or an imposition?
No problem, and thank you for asking! 🙂 You can sure use the images, just please link them to my blog or any other of my pages wherever you get them from. It won’t be long till you take your own stunning images, and then I will ask you for the favor of using them 🙂 Camera doesn’t matter much, you know.
Have a nice weekend!
Inese
Oh my gosh, what beautiful trees! I think the beech may just now be one of my favorites! Thanks for bringing this place to life; glad to now know of it.
Thank you so much for stopping by! Isn’t the beech tree beautiful? Hope you make it to Ireland one day! 🙂
Oh my!! This is impressive, what a beautiful nature! And your pictures are simply breathtaking! Great post! (PS: I am not sure why I missed your post on my wordpress reader – found your post from your tweets instead of my wp reader 😦 )
Thank you Indah! Same here, I am missing so many posts even that I am in the reader every day! And also, I always visit any blog who “like” my post, but wordpress doesn’t show me many of them in notifications, especially those who are not following. I feel like I am impolite… 😦
It is 😦 I hope today it will be better..I am following your blog, so it was weird to miss some posts from the blogs I follow.. Hope you have a great weekend!!
You too, Indah! 🙂