Mosstown Heritage
Project Biodiversity
Mosstown forest has historically been managed on an informal open forest basis and many features of the old Mosstown Estate are still present within the forest and surrounding farmland. The close proximity of Keenagh village and the interlinking minor public roads attract large numbers of walkers. The neighbouring Royal Canal, now a Blue Way brings even more walkers and cyclists to the local area.
The contribution of forest walks to the health and wellbeing of the local community came to the forefront during Covid Lockdown. Walker footfall significantly increased which refocused IForUT’s interest in improving walker access and the general non timber attributes of Mosstown Forest.
In 2021 Longford CoCo and IForUT worked together to build a carpark and reinstate some of the stone walls at the entrance to the Lime Avenue. Additional timber fencing was added for safety along the old mill race stream. The car parking facility has been particularly beneficial for people to park safely and see the old estate features again.
To further enhance the car park, IForUT constructed a new forest walk to link to the car park. This new walk connects the existing forest road in Mosstown Forest creating a new loop walk.
Lime Tree Avenue
One of the key highlights of Mosstown is the Lime Tree Avenue. This is the former entrance avenue to the old estate and is highly regarded locally for summer and autumn walks. The avenue was planted in 1848 as part of a local relief scheme. Each tree was planted at a perch (distance) and it was regarded as one of the finest examples of arboriculture in Ireland at its time.
Kiln restoration
A major project completed by IForUT in 2022 was the restoration of the old estate Lime kiln within Mosstown Forest. The kiln was in a state of disrepair and potentially posing a safety risk to walkers. The kiln is of significant local heritage value as it was instrumental in supplying lime for all building works and for farmland improvement in the local area.
In consultation with the Longford CoCo Heritage Officer, a local stone mason was engaged by IForUT to use traditional masonry techniques and locally sourced stone to restore the kiln. These works have safeguarded the kilns heritage value and it has received widespread public acclaim. The kiln restoration works have featured in a recently published local history book joint funded by The Heritage Council and Longford CoCo.
Old Woodland
Parts of the forest are “old woodland”, which by definition means they were continuously forested since circa the 1830’s. As a result the forest has gone through multiple cycles of felling and regeneration. In 2021, sample areas of the forest which were historically woodland, were replanted using native species, thus commencing restoration of some of this old woodland area. The newly installed recreational link path dissects these areas of native planting which enhances the atmosphere and surroundings of the walkway.
The woodland provides habitat and shelter for a variety of plant and animal species, thereby enhancing local biodiversity. Mammal tracks can frequently be seen in the woodland and some interesting species of note have also been recorded in Mosstown forest. These include the Whorl Snail (Vertigo moulinsiana) which was observed in the pond areas. Buzzards have been known to nest in the locality and in the property.
Field Days
IForUT hosted an ITGA Field Day in Mosstown woodlands which facilitated forestry and local heritage knowledge transfer. The objectives of this field day were to give a broad overview of systems and procedures required for compliance with forest certification, to discuss how to enhance the recreational value of private forests and to provide an opportunity for people to hear of the history of several of the unique heritage features within the woodland, as well as to hear some of the interesting local history from a local historian.
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