Bellamont Forest is located at the outskirts of Cootehill town, and constitutes a national sanctuary with many kilometers of forest walks and oak trees of more than 170 years old. The forest was once thickly planted with Norway spruce and other trees, and is now managed by Coillte and was clearcut in the early 1990s.
Areas were replanted with a mixture of oak, ash and scots pine within guidelines for old woodland sites, also included were alder, holly, & willow trees.
The forest is famous for deer, with well over 2000 sika and fallow wild deer roaming through the trees at any one time. Other animals such as fox, red & grey squirrel, pinemartin, badger, mink, hares, rabbits and otter are also present. The rivers and lakes carry duck and wildfowl in great numbers, Birds include kingfisher, robin, bluetit, owl, buzzard and sparrow hawks.
The main recreation lies along the Dromore river, where facilities include fishing stands, walkways, exercise machines and the award winning picnic area at Haltons on the Monaghan Road. Development in the area has been aided by Cavan County Council Peace III Programme. The works are on-going with many new colour coded walks laid out throughout Bellamont & Dartry Forests. Cootehill Park Run is a very successful programme taking place here every Saturday.
Bellamont Forest embraces Bellamont House, one of Ireland’s finest 18th century Palladian villas. Built between 1725 and 1730 for Thomas Coote, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, the house was designed by his nephew, Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, one of the leading exponents of the Palladian style in Ireland. Bellamont symbolises the pinnacle of architectural perfection and is one of only a few buildings in Ireland designated of ‘National Importance’. Pearce’s other works include the former Houses of Parliament in College Green, now The Bank of Ireland. You can see great details of the house by googling you tube video and other sites.
Though the property is on 1000 acres, about 400 acres is under lake and a further 450 acres is in woodland which is owned by Coillte after a previous owner bequeathed the woodland to the State for 150 years.