Ballymoney Natural Environment

Ballymoney Borough covers around 161 square miles, predominantly rural, benefiting from the mild south-westerly winds and Gulf Stream influence typical of this part of Ireland — average temperatures range roughly 4–7°C in winter and 15–18°C in summer.

Rivers

The town itself sits between the River Bann to the west and the River Bush to the north, with the Ballymoney River — a tributary of the Bann — running through the borough. Several of these waterways are designated salmon-spawning areas thanks to their sand-and-gravel riverbeds; see Fishing Near Ballymoney for where to fish them.

Landscape

Part of the borough falls within the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Lower Bann Valley, in the borough’s south, runs from Ballymoney toward Castledawson, with peat bogs and wet woodland (birch, willow, alder) alongside mixed and conifer plantation. The Lower Bann Floodplain — the river’s lower course — is drained by smaller tributaries including the Macosquin, Aghadowey, and Agivey Rivers, with further pockets of wet woodland.

In town

Riverside Park and Megaw Park give visitors an easy way to experience some of this landscape without leaving the town centre — see Things to Do in Ballymoney.