Avonmore Way

Walked this trail on 17th May from Trooperstown to the Stump of the Castle ....and back. Our enthusiasm at the start blinded us to the amount of road and hard forest track there is from Trooperstown to Ballylug Bridge - but we knew all about it on the way back. Undoubtedly the nicest part of this trail is the southern half. If you don't have two vehicles I would recommend starting from Rathdrum going as far as Ballylug Bridge and turning back, stopping for lunch in Clara Vale which is a lovely spot.

As promised in my rather negative review of the northern section of the trail, we returned to do the southern section today. Starting in Rathdrum we initially had a lot of difficulty trying to find the trail as there is no signage whatsoever in the town. We eventually headed out the right road for 1.5 km to the start at Stump of the Castle. From there on, it was excellent - a good path underfoot, great mixed forestry with views and the sound of the river alongside. An hour and a quarter and 7 km after leaving the bridge in Rathdrum, we arrived at the beautiful hamlet of Clara Vale. Sitting in the church grounds and admiring the views while eating lunch in the sunshine was just perfect.

Heading back we took a lower path by the river that was even more attractive and rejoined the waymarked route after a km. A very pleasant hour later we arrived back into Rathdrum delighted with our two and a half hour walk.

Could the Way be extended to Rathdrum with waymarking and warning signs on the road section? If not, please provide some directional signage in the town for pedestrians and drivers.

With only the one car on New Year's Day, we decided on an out and back walk from Trooperstown with Clara the hoped for turning point. Being more used to mountain and river/canal walks, we found the route quite boring with all except a short section on forest or public roads. Admittedly, the views across the valley towards Glendalough were great in between the hail showers. After 8km according to my phone GPS, we could look down into Clara Vale but had not yet reached the turn down into the valley. At this point we turned back into the northerly wind and got back to the car just short of three hours after starting.

From looking at the map, the section from Clara on to the end looks a lot more like what we were hoping for and we will return at some stage to tackle this.

We recently spent a very pleasant morning walking the Avonmore Way. We started this not too strenuous trail, at the Trooperstown Forest car park. Ascending through the Woods, we resisted the temptation to take a diversionary punt up Trooperstown Hill which was carpeted with pink and purple heather. We followed the trail through the townland of Ballard, which provided wonderful views of the Glendalough and Glendasan valleys and neighbouring hills before descending into the Vale of Clara, the red berries of the Rowan trees providing a wonderful splash of colour. We picnicked by the picture-postcard Clara Vale church (St. Patrick and St Killian RC church) and bridge. This was followed by a delightful section of riverside walk where the route truly lived up to its name. We then headed for the finish point at the Stump of the Castle car park. All in all a very nice trail.

Did this lovely trail this afternoon and it is a beauty...A great range of terrain with lovely stretches through woodlands. Highlights include the wonderful views down to Glendalough and over Derrybawn, the little church and bridge in Clara Vale, the woodland with its floor of bluebells and the gorgeous Avonmore River. It took our group 2 hours 40 min at a fast pace and was enjoyed by us all...

Did this trail both ways on Sat 20th May.We set off from Trooperstown car park,crossing the Avonmore river which we were not to see again for 8km .A wide stone track with a gentle incline warmed us up and brought us to the shoulder of Trooperstown Hill where we turned right on a quiet tarmac road which went past an rte tv mast and gave great views of Scarr and Camaderry Mtn .The road then dropped sharply before we were directed left on a very pleasant green road with only a slight height gain.Emerging after about a km on to another thankfully quiet B road, this short stretch bringing us well into the Vale of Clara with glimpses of the valley below.We were then directed into trees and a gently descending track with a few turns to watch out for but we found the posts and yellow man directions were well positioned. Descending further we reached a church and delightful stone bridge which spanned the now wide and fast flowing Avonmore river, worth exploring although the route doesn't go over it. Turning left on road again , a short 100m climb brought us to a trail head for several colour coded walks . A most pleasant gently downhill track brought us back to the the river through a bluebell carpeted forest . A meandering track followed the river before turning up to the official start /finish board, the last km being worked on to improve the quality of the track.After a break we returned to Trooperstown with a total distance of 26km .Overall a very enjoyable day and a lot of reward for the effort.

We started at Booterstown car park and eventually came onto a road, a T junction with absolutely no signage as to go left or right. Turned back :-)NOTE from Sport Ireland - National Trails Office. We think the reviewer started at Trooperstown car park. We have asked those responsible for the trail to check out the signage on that section and it all seems to be in place, however they will add a second marker at one turn off where a walker might be tempted to continue straight on.

This is an excellent addition to Wicklow's Waymarked Ways with lovely woodland and riverside tracks along the way. The steep climb up through Trooperstown Wood is not an ideal start to the day but can be avoided by some creative parking (see map) while care is required along a 20 minute stretch of scenic roadway through the Vale of Clara. A stop at Clara church and bridge is a must - perfect for a mid-hike break. While the Avonmore Way signage is very good, do bring a map of the Way for reassurance. I would suggest that Trooperstown to Rathdrum is an easier down-hill route - we left the car at the Rathdrum end, got a taxi to Trooperstown, and walked back. Overall, a lovely hike and well worth the taxi fare!