Cultural Heritage of Antrim Coast & Glens AONB

Farming

Little of the landscape remains truly natural. People living and working the land have created their own landscapes of farm, field, hedgerow, wall and dwelling. All of these add to the heritage of the area. The patchwork of small fields around the Antrim Glens and Coast, most only enclosed in the 19th century, contrasts with the open moorland above. In Glenariff, the distinctive pattern of ladder farms can be seen running upslope from the valley floor, each farm thus ensured a share of lowland, glen side and hill ground. To the west of the plateau, the valleys are fertile and gently sloping. The Braid Valley is characterised by small fields bounded by dry-stone walls,

their sense of order reinforced by the rough hill ground beyond. Nowhere is this more evident than looking northwards from Slemish, where the mountain rises abruptly, leaving its wilderness in sharp contrast to the farmland below. The importance of conserving this historic landscape and its associated wildlife is recognised, having been designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area, thus ensuring that modern farming practices do not erode this rich heritage, but take an active role in conserving the best of our countryside.

Industry

Many industries have left their mark on the landscape, for example, mineral resources have at various times given rise to mining activity. Evidence of iron ore and bauxite mining at Glenravel can be seen in disused mine workings, and traces of narrow gauge railway systems to Red Bay and Ballymena can still be seen today. Miners settled in the villages of Newtown-Crommelin, Cargan and Waterfoot. At Fair Head and Murlough disused mines, harbours and place names remind us of former coal mining. Today, extractive industries continue at Glenarm and Kilwaughter where limestone is worked, while old quarry sites and lime kilns mark past operations.