Throne Wood
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Newtownabbey
What it’s like
Free woodland walk with ponds to peer into and, if you're lucky at dusk, seven kinds of bat overhead.
This is a proper stretch of mature woodland, not a manicured park, with ponds dotted through it that are worth stopping at every time. Frogs and other amphibians turn up in the shallows if your kids are patient enough to crouch and wait, which is a rarer skill than it sounds. Spring brings the woodland flowers out and autumn turns the whole place a different colour, so it's the sort of spot that rewards a repeat visit rather than a one-off.
The bat angle is the bit that'll stick with older kids: seven species have been recorded here, though obviously you're not going to see any of that at midday with a buggy and a toddler in tow. It's more of a "come back in the evening" fact to file away than something to plan a daytime trip around.
There's no car park at the wood itself, which is the genuine catch. You're looking at nearby options like Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo, Upper Cavehill Road or Upper Hightown Road, and then a walk in, or the Kincraig Park bus stop if you'd rather not bother with parking at all. The nearest toilets and baby changing are a good 15 minutes' walk away too, so this isn't the place for a last-minute nappy change or a toddler who's just announced they need the loo. Entry itself doesn't cost anything, which softens the blow of the walk.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- No on-site parking. Nearby options at Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo, Upper Cavehill Road, Upper Hightown Road
- Getting there by bus or train
- 90m south of Kincraig Park bus stop
- No car park on site, nearest spots are Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo or the nearby roads
- Bats are an evening thing, not a daytime spot
- Kincraig Park bus stop is right by the entrance if you'd rather skip parking altogether
Plan your visit
Is it free to visit?
Yes, there's no charge to walk round.
Is there parking at the wood?
Nothing on site. You'd park at Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo, or on Upper Cavehill Road or Upper Hightown Road and walk in.
Are there toilets nearby?
There are toilets and baby changing, but they're about 15 minutes' walk away, so plan ahead if you've got a toddler mid potty training.
What might we actually see?
Ponds with frogs and other pond life, spring flowers, autumn colour, and bats at dusk, seven species have been recorded in the wood.
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