Come through the gate at Castlewellan and the lake opens out in front of you, with the grey turrets of the castle reflected across the water and the Mourne Mountains rising behind — the kind of view that makes everyone stop for a second. The path around the water is wide, level and easy underfoot, so you can push a buggy or a wheelchair the whole way round while the little ones run ahead looking for the swans.
Then there's the maze. The Peace Maze is one of the largest permanent hedge mazes in the world, and there is no better way to make children shriek with laughter than turning them loose in it — dead ends, doubling back, the race to ring the bell in the middle. Right beside it, Animal Wood is a woodland-themed play area built for ages four to eleven, so the youngest ones have somewhere of their own.
Wander up from the lake and you reach the Annesley Walled Garden and the National Arboretum — great old trees gathered here from Japan, Chile and beyond, wonderful in every season and glorious in autumn. The castle itself is a Scottish-baronial house now run as a conference and Christian retreat centre, so it's the grounds and the water you come for rather than a tour inside — and the grounds are more than enough. A coffee cart keeps everyone going, and there's a fine day here whatever the sky does.
Plan your visit
Can I just turn up? Yes — walking in is free.
The park is free to walk into on foot or by bike. If you're driving, there's a parking charge of £5 a car (a motorbike is £3, a minibus £15 — confirm current rates on the day) and that covers the lake, the maze and the gardens. The gates open around 9am and close at sunset, so the hours stretch long in summer and shorten in winter. There's no booking for a normal visit — you just arrive.
Coffee cart on siteToilets & accessibleLevel lake pathPicnic spotsDogs on leads (not in the maze)
Two to remember:
The lake path is the pram-and-wheelchair-friendly option — level and surfaced the whole way. The forest and mountain-bike trails higher up are rougher going. And a new café was due to open at the Grange in summer 2026, so a proper sit-down lunch may be on now — confirm on the day.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Comfy shoes or welliesThe lake path is easy, but the woodland trails can be muddy after rain — grippy shoes for the little ones.
🧥A coat, whatever the sky's doingRain makes the lake and the trees glow, and there's shelter under the canopy — a light coat means the weather is never a reason to stay in.
🧺A picnicThere are grassy spots and benches by the water; a coffee cart is on site, with a full café hopefully now open too.
🚼The buggy — an ordinary one is fineThe circular lake path is level and surfaced, so a normal stroller manages it easily.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Free to walk in on foot or by bike. Parking is charged: £5 a car, £3 a motorbike, £15 a minibus (confirm current rates on the day). The car ticket covers the whole park, including the maze and gardens.
Hours
Gates open around 9am and close at sunset — long summer evenings, earlier in winter. The Annesley Garden and Arboretum open daily 10am to sunset. Best to confirm on the day.
What you'll see
Castlewellan Lake with the castle mirrored across it, the roughly 2.4-mile circular lakeside walk, the Peace Maze (one of the world's largest hedge mazes), the Annesley Walled Garden and National Arboretum, Animal Wood play area, canoe and bike hire at the Grange, and mountain-bike trails.
The castle
Castlewellan Castle is a Scottish-baronial house run privately as a conference and Christian retreat centre — it isn't a house tour. You visit the grounds, the lake and the gardens, not the inside.
Food
A coffee cart operates in the main car park. A new café at the Grange was expected to open in summer 2026 — confirm whether it's open. The Grange also does bike, e-bike and canoe hire.
Toilets
Toilets on site, some wheelchair-accessible.
Dogs
Dogs welcome on leads around the park. They're not allowed in the Peace Maze.
Accessibility
The lakeside walk is one of the more wheelchair- and buggy-friendly forest walks in the Mournes — even, consistent surfacing and mostly flat, with accessible parking and toilets. The forest and mountain trails higher up are rougher.
How long
Allow a good half day — the lake loop is around an hour at a stroll, and the maze, gardens and play area easily fill the rest.
Questions
Before you go
Is there a charge?
Walking in on foot or by bike is free. If you drive, parking is £5 a car (confirm current rates on the day), and that ticket covers the lake, the maze and the gardens — no separate entry fee.
Can I get a buggy or wheelchair round?
Yes — the circular lakeside walk (about 2.4 miles) is level and surfaced the whole way, so an ordinary buggy or a wheelchair manages it comfortably. It's one of the friendliest forest walks in the area for wheels. The forest trails higher up are rougher.
Can we go inside the castle?
No — the castle is a private conference and Christian retreat centre, not a house tour. You come for the grounds, the lake and the gardens, which are open to walk freely.
How big is the Peace Maze?
It's one of the largest permanent hedge mazes in the world, and it's a genuine highlight for children. Reaching the bell in the middle usually takes around 40 minutes — longer if you keep taking the wrong turn, which is half the fun.
Is there food on site?
A coffee cart runs in the main car park, and a new café at the Grange was due to open in summer 2026, so a full lunch may be available now — worth checking. Otherwise bring a picnic; there are lovely spots by the water.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome on leads around the park. The one exception is the Peace Maze, where they're not allowed.
Getting there
Castlewellan Forest Park, Main Street, Castlewellan, County Down, BT31 9BU — the main entrance is right off the town's Main Street, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. Paid parking on site.
Castlewellan grew out of the old Annesley estate, laid out around the lake at the foot of the Mournes. The Scottish-baronial castle came in the 1850s, and the walled garden — the story goes it dates back to 1740 — became the heart of an arboretum whose tree and shrub collection is reckoned to be among the finest in the British Isles, with rare specimens gathered from Japan, Chile, Australia and China.
The Peace Maze was planted later, opened in 2001 as a symbol of the path to peace in Northern Ireland — thousands of yew trees planted by children from across the community. Today the whole park is cared for by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, and the castle serves as a conference and retreat centre, while the lake, the gardens and that enormous maze belong to everyone who comes to walk them.