Carnfunnock Country Park
Coast Road, Ballygally, Larne, County Antrim, BT40 2QG
At Carnfunnock Country Park you’ll find a wealth of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. Packed full of exciting and unusual attractions, Carnfunnock offers over 191 hectares of mixed woodland, colourful gardens, walking trails and spectacular coastline, with panoramic views of the Antrim Coast and North Channel.
The walled garden with its unique sundials and wooden sculptures is open all year round, along with a maritime themed outdoor adventure playground, golf driving range and academy, way-marked walks, orienteering course, geocaching, wildlife garden, public toilets and picnic sites.
From March / April to October there are attractions to suit all ages: a maze in the shape of Northern Ireland, a family fun zone with miniature railway, bouncy castle, bungee run, remote control boats / trucks, bungee trampolines, WOW balls and 18 hole mini golf course; a children’s activity centre with snack stop, face painting, outdoor games including putting, table tennis and draughts; a touring caravan park and camp site; 9 hole golf course; barbecue areas and a modern visitor centre with gift shop and coffee shop.
For more detailed information go to www.carnfunnock.co.uk
Life and Legend
Carnfunnock Country Park is owned by Larne Borough Council but was originally part of the estate of the Chaine family and Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon. Besides its many activities and attractions, original estate features remain including the Walled Garden, Icehouse and Lime Kilns. Its unique hedge maze, in the shape of Northern Ireland, opened in 1991 to mark Northern Ireland’s contribution to the International Year of the Maze. Self-guiding educational material for both the Maze and Walled Garden are available to download from the Council’s website at www.carnfunnock.co.uk
Carnfunnock also has a comprehensive and varied programme of events. There have been demonstrations of falconry, bushcraft, and chainsaw carving. Many events at the park are themed to take account of special times with Easter events launching the season and Halloween events concluding. Children are especially well catered for with many hands-on activities including painting eggs at Easter, pebble art and face painting and seasonal projects such as how to make a ladybird in summer to Halloween masks in October. There is even a big day out for Teddy Bears with a Teddy Bear Disco. Educational events have included pond dipping, bug hunting, making a wormery, learning about snakes, lizards, spiders and amphibians and at other times about foxes, ferrets, hedgehogs, bats and rabbits. Water comes into play with searches for life from the invisible to the enormous, hunting in the Wildlife Pond or Drains Bay rock pools to the annual whale watching day. From June to August there are concerts in the amphitheatre with music by a wide variety of bands. Please note: the events programme is subject to change annually.
Video produced by Ambient Light Productions