Castlewellan is a town of some several thousand inhabitants
situated in the south-east of Northern Ireland close to the
Irish
Sea and the Mourne Mountains.
There are already some caches in this area which have lovely
views of the Mournes and surrounding mountains.
This series of caches has been place by gilliancclarke,
Frezeluberz and Zoe andDaddy.
In 1834 this area now known as Batt's Estate came into the
ownership of a merchant, Narcissus Batt of Purdysburn, Belfast. It
is now managed by trustees.
The Scots pine and larch wood visible from the car park, on the
western slope of Altataggart Mountain, is known as Batt's Wood.
Altataggart is translated as Priests' Mountain.
Ten mins walk along the track leading from the gate at the river
ford brings you to a Mass rock located on the left of the track,
which is complete with a small chiselled altar and cross.
Mass rocks were used as secret locations to hold ceremonies when
Penal Laws, which banned Catholicism in Ireland, were in force from
the late 17th to early 19th century.
The caches in the series are: