The Silent Valley Reservoir, in the Mourne Mountains a short drive from Kilkeel, County Down, has supplied Belfast’s water since the early 20th century and is now also a popular walking destination in its own right.
History
As Belfast’s industries grew through the 19th century, engineer Luke Livingstone Macassey identified the Mourne Mountains as a future water source for the city. The resulting Mourne water scheme unfolded in stages: the Mourne Wall (1904–1922), a 22-mile (35km) dry-stone wall crossing 15 Mourne summits, enclosed roughly 9,000 acres of high mountain land; the Silent Valley Reservoir itself (1922–1933) provided storage of around 3,000 million gallons; the Binnian Tunnel (1949–1958), a 4km tunnel through Slieve Binnian, diverted water from the Annalong River; and the Ben Crom Dam (1954–1958), upstream of Silent Valley, completed the scheme. A memorial at the site commemorates workers who died during construction.
Walking Routes
Six waymarked routes run from the main car park, ranging from an easy 1.1-mile Nature Trail (following the old railway line used to move men and materials during construction) to the more demanding six-mile Ben Crom Dam walk and the challenging Mountain Trail. The Heritage Walk passes the “Mourne Hand” sculpture, a duck pond, and the ruins of Watertown House, once accommodation for construction workers, alongside its memorial to those who died building the scheme.
Facilities
The site includes a café, a children’s play park near the duck pond, and picnic areas.
Opening hours are seasonal: 10am-6pm April to October, 10am-4pm November to March.
Admission (per vehicle/person, at the entrance - cash or contactless):
- Car: £5.00
- Minibus: £13.00
- Coach: £35.00
- Pedestrian/Cyclist: £1.60
- Motorcycle: £2.50
Annual passes are also available for regular visitors: £20 for a car, £50 for a minibus (up to 16 passengers), covering entry during normal opening hours for a full year.
Car park capacity is limited to 120 spaces, first-come-first-served - no access once the site reaches capacity, so arriving early is worth it on busy days.
For further enquiries, contact NI Water’s Waterline on 03457 440088.
