Slieve Roosley Landscape

Key Characteristics

• An attractive open landscape of windswept hilltops and more intimate valleys and footslopes.
• Rough, unfenced sheep-grazed moorland pastures on upper slopes; stone wall enclosed pastures below.
• Occasional trees in hedgerows on footslopes and in glens; no trees on hilltops.
• Scattered small scale settlement around the edges of the hills and along the glens; a mixture of old cottages and farms.
• Long, open, panoramic views across hilltops to the dramatic horizon of the Mourne Mountains.
• The area is rich in archaeological remains such as raths, standing stones, graves and earthworks.

Landscape Description

Between Newry and the Mourne Mountains in the south of the country, the Slieve Roosley landscape comprises a group of open, exposed hills with a rugged profile. These rise to 364m at Slieve Roe and include the surrounding farmed footslopes, which are dissected by river valleys. The Rostrevor Glen and Kilbroney River together form a marked feature along the eastern boundary of the area, which is underlain by a complex geology of igneous and sedimentary rocks. The hills are used for sheep grazing and are characterised by rough, open, unfenced pastures of moorland grasses, gorse, bracken and sedges. The fringes comprise semi-improved pastures of small fields enclosed by stone walls and gorsey hedgerows, which progressively becomes rougher as the land rises. There are a few trees in the hedgerows on the footslopes and in the glens but no trees on the hilltops.

Scattered settlement is concentrated around the edges of the hills and along the glens, including the village of Mayobridge. There is a mixture of old cottages and farms, as well as some new buildings, which are predominantly small in scale. Narrow roads are unfenced on the hilltops and enclosed by stone walls at lower elevations. They connect settlements and wind across the hills providing long, open, panoramic views to the dramatic horizon of the Mourne Mountains and into the intricate patchwork of the valleys below. This is an attractive open landscape of windswept, wild hilltops and more intimate valleys and footslopes. The area is rich in archaeological remains such as raths, standing stones, graves and earthworks. On the upper slopes, the historic townland boundaries are prominent in areas enclosed during the potato famine, adding interest and diversity to the landscape.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

The whole area would be highly sensitive to change because of its openness, its valuable archaeological heritage and its importance as part of the setting to the Mournes. The most sensitive areas are the hilltops and local skylines. The lower slopes of the hills have a more degraded appearance resulting from the relatively poor condition of the dry-stone walls and the presence of rush infested abandoned pastures.

Principles for Landscape Management

• The planting of commercial forestry plantations on the open hill tops would be detrimental to the rugged landform and may mask the subtle transition between the upland grazing and stone-wall enclosed pastures below.
• The restoration of field boundaries and stone walls as they fall into disrepair would prevent their permanent disappearance from the landscape.
• The open settings to archaeological features on hillsides should be conserved and the impact of any proposed change in land use or development requires careful consideration.
• Monitoring and management of grazing in order to promote the ecological value of moorland and to ensure that it does not become degraded would be of benefit.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• Radio masts are the main threat to the open summits and should be kept to a minimum.
• The restoration of derelict stone cottages would help conserve traditional buildings within the area.
• New buildings would be least intrusive if they were constructed near to Mayobridge and built in traditional styles using local building materials.