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Outdoor Recreation NI in partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Woodland Trust have obtained funding from the DAERA TRPSI Programme to create the walking trail.
Daisy Hill Nursery was opened on the site by Thomas Smith in 1887 and it operated for over 100 years growing exotic trees and shrubs.
Thomas was one of the best known horticulturists in Europe, and the plants from his nursery were sent as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Canada and India, and even to the Royal Courts of England, Denmark and Russia. The nursery was even promoted as "the only Nursery in Ireland worth a button"
In recent years the seven acre facility run by the Woodland Trust was developed as a woodland with existing paths improved with gravel in 2001. Bats, squirrels, hedgehogs and long-eared owls have all been spotted in the woods.
The location is scarcely known outside of its immediate neighbourhood and the prevalence of litter and muddy tracks at present would discourage visitors. Upgrade work has been proposed for the area for almost a decade so the new paths will be a welcome facility.
The Council have released a tender for the current works with a closing date of 19 March. A budget of £75K is available and it is expected the works will take ten weeks.
The site has a single pedestrian access point from Daisy Hill and it is expected this will be closed for the duration of the works which should begin by the end of March.
As the wood environment poses environmental and ecological constraints those who carry out the works need to ensure flora and fauna is not affected.
