Clement Wilson Park cache
At the beginning of the twentieth century the site of Clement Wilson Park was occupied by a factory producing clogs, which were once worn extensively by the labouring classes. A millrace that started beside Shaw's Bridge fed water from the River Lagan to the factory. In 1929 it was bought over by a company called Wilson Management Ltd., which gained twenty-five acres of land north-east of Shaw's Bridge in the deal.
Further pieces of land were annexed in 1943 and 1960, bringing the total area to fifty-four acres. Wilson's firm used the factory to produce soft fruit for canning, some of which was grown in orchards that stood on what are now the grasslands of the park beside Newforge Lane.
As the factory was located out of town, it was impossible for employees to travel home for lunch. Therefore it became their custom to walk the nearby fields. The chairman of the company, Mr R Clement Wilson, decided to follow an idea that was prevalent in England and had the grounds landscaped into gardens for the benefit of his employees. Thus the area became the province's first factory garden.
After the war the millrace was filled in using rubble from demolished air-raid shelters and buildings. The sunken waterway became a raised walkway, and was known locally as the 'Burmah Road'. This is still the main path through the property today.
Negotiations between the Clement Wilson family and Belfast City Council over forty-five acres at Newforge began in spring of 1974. The Council agreed to the purchase and it was officially opened on 30 October 1975, with a ceremony conducted by Councillor William Corry, a former Chairman of the Parks and Cemeteries Committee.
Look out for swallows, swifts and house martins flying over the river on summer evenings. You may also spot kingfishers and grey wagtails near the river.
The MournesRambler II Series
There are currently 24 caches in the MournesRambler II series which is designed to lure you away from the bright city lights along the Lagan Towpath:
The recommended mode of transport for this series is a bicycle, but it should also be quite feasible to complete it on foot. Have you found them all? If you have done them all one after the other please let us know (in your log entry) how long it took you so that others will know roughly how long it might take them.
The Clement Wilson Park cache
The cache itself is about the length of a 35mm film canister but smaller in diameter. It only contains a log book so please bring your own pen/pencil.
This area is frequented by muggles so please use discretion when hunting for and replacing the cache. Please put it back exactly as you found it.