Peatlands Park

Peatlands Park is a large lowland raised bog that has been extensively cut for turf in the past. It represents one of the largest areas of degraded raised bog in Northern Ireland. Regeneration is taking place over a large part of the site, with Heather and cross-leaved heath  together with a mixture of sedges including hare’s-tail Cottongrass, common Cottongrass and Sphagnum bog-mosses. The peatland flora includes bog-rosemary at one of its few Northern Ireland sites.  

The Park  also incorporates a large area of intact lowland raised bog at Mullenakill. The bog is actively growing and is covered by typical raised bog vegetation. 

The extensive areas of cutover bog display considerable variability reflecting the degree of wetness. Where the water table is at or close to the surface, the cuttings support vegetation similar to that of lowland raised bog. The waters at Derryadd Lake are eutrophic, being characterised by species such as Yellow Water-lily. Fen and swamp vegetation is associated with the margins of the lake. The rich flora and fauna associated with this extensive and highly diverse area supports a large number of rare and notable species. Plants include species such as Bog Rosemary in the peat cuttings and Alder Buckthorn  in the wet wood. Notable invertebrates include the Wood Ant and a number of butterflies, including Marsh Fritillary.

The Bog woodland appears to have developed through several succession over a shallow, peat-bottomed lake. Downy birch is dominant, with grey willow one of the main associates. Bramble is locally abundant in the ground cover. However, most of the woodland floor is soft and spongy, with occasional quaking areas, dominated by acid fen communities. These are composed of a thick bryophyte carpet of a variety of bog-moss, through which grow a scattering of grasses, sedges and herbs.

For access to the site contact the warden on +44 28 3885 1102.