The Wicklow Gap
Take a leisurely drive along the twists and turns of the R756, the regional road from Dunlavin to Laragh, and you’ll come to the Wicklow Gap, a 26 kilometre length of road stretching from Hollywood to Laragh. It’s one of the only two routes to cross the Wicklow Mountains from east to west, and is not only a very important regional route, but it’s also a popular route for tourists too. It’s said that that when you drive through the Wicklow Gap you enter another world; a world that’s ancient and unchanged; a world of old mine-workings and early sites of monastic worship; a world where you feel at one with nature as you negotiate the heather-clad mountains, pass gushing waterfalls, spy hidden lakes sparkling in the sunshine, and head down into dramatic valleys.
A chance to see the Wicklow Mountains at their best
Driving through the Wicklow Gap gives you the opportunity to take in some extremely impressive views over the Kings River, the Glendasan valley and the upper lake at Glendalough. The road reaches a high point of 470 metres before descending down into the Glendasan Valley, passing through some spectacular scenery and historic sites such as the Piper Stone Circles and the Monastic Settlement along the way. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to be at the summit of the Wicklow Gap on a clear day, you may get the chance to see across the Irish Sea and catch a glimpse of the mountains in Snowdonia in Wales. The road twists and turns as it traverses the mountains, crossing wide-open expanses of moorland which cover the hills with their blankets of yellow gorse and purple heather. There’s hardly a tree to be seen in this area, just rolling, and seemingly never ending, stretches of moorland and stunning views, and just as you get over the splendour of one vista, the next comes into view. From Tonelagee and its spectacular view across to the hidden Lough Ouler, a heart shaped lake known as ‘Lake of the Eagle’, to the first sight of the King’s River, and onto the Upper Lake at Glendalough before diving into the valley containing the remains of the lead mining industry, there’s always something new around every corner.
Get a taste of the area’s lead mining heritage
There’s been a history of lead mining in this area of the Wicklow Mountains for over 150 years. Along with the mines, there were villages complete with a mining school for the children of the workers and, during the height of lead mining, one million trees were planted in the Glendalough Valley to be used as shaft supports in the mine. Over the years, as the lead deposits were used up, the villages declined until the last mine was closed in 1965. However, the remains of the lead mining heritage linger, heaps of stone strewn on the ground and dotted amongst the hills as a monument to the industry that once put this area on the map.
Get a taste of the area’s lead mining heritage
There’s been a history of lead mining in this area of the Wicklow Mountains for over 150 years. Along with the mines, there were villages complete with a mining school for the children of the workers and, during the height of lead mining, one million trees were planted in the Glendalough Valley to be used as shaft supports in the mine. Over the years, as the lead deposits were used up, the villages declined until the last mine was closed in 1965. However, the remains of the lead mining heritage linger, heaps of stone strewn on the ground and dotted amongst the hills as a monument to the industry that once put this area on the map.
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