Cycle Routes Around Ballymoney

The Bush

A 23-mile loop starting and finishing at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre, taking in the village of Stranocum and the Dark Hedges — the 300-year-old beech avenue reputedly haunted by a grey lady — plus 18th-century Stranocum Hall and the 17th-century old graveyard at Kilraughts.

Distance: 23 miles Starting point: Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre

Route: Right onto Garryduff Road, then left onto Glenlough Road. Cross the A26 (take care). At the next crossroads, left onto Boyland Road, straight over the following crossroads, still on Boyland Road. At the end, right onto Kirk Road, through Stranocum village and up past the school. Right at Gracehill Golf Course onto Bregagh Road and up through the Dark Hedges themselves. Straight over the next crossroads and descend back toward Ballymoney.

Bregagh Road through the Hedges is a public road shared with traffic — cycle with care, especially in summer when it’s busiest with visitors on foot.

Other routes

The Bush is one of five signposted routes the council maps out around Ballymoney — The Fisheries, The Craiges, The Mill, and The Castle round out the set, each taking in different parts of the surrounding countryside. Route maps are available at the Visitor Information Centre in the Town Hall.

Planning your ride

The route is genuinely rural once you’re past the Garryduff/Glenlough junction — take water, and check your bike before setting out since there’s little in the way of services along the way.