The Lady Anne Walk that originally connected Hazelwood House with Ardaghowen has received funding for the trail to be extended and renovated. The historic nature walk was built for Lady Anne Butler, the wife of John Arthur Wynne. The couple had married in 1838. It is estimated the walk was built in the mid-1800s and may have formed part of a Famine relief project in the 1840s.
Ardaghowen House was originally built as a dower house for a Wynne widow. It was available for use by the widow of the estate-owner. The widow, often known as the Dowager, would have moved from the larger Hazelwood House into the dower house on the death of her husband, allowing for the heir, usually her son to move in with his wife and family.
Ardaghowen originally called Ellenville was built for a Wynne dowager and the trail provided scenic access by carriage to the big house at Hazelwood. The walk was opened to the public, local people and tourists would take a scenic walk from Ardaghowen to Hazelwood and return to town by a boat which took them across Lough Gill to the Cleveragh estate now Doorly Park area
According to Local Calry History Society, “Lady Anne’s Walk was once wide enough for a horsedrawn coach and had a stone foundation which rendered it passable in all types of weather conditions. The foundation is still intact.”
Background sources:
New trail funding announced reports 9 January 2019:
http://www.sligococo.ie/News/FundingAnnouncedforSligoWalks/
Sligo Champion Report 18 April 2017, Calry Local History Newspaper article: https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/the-sligo-champion/20170418/281745564260828
Felim O’Rourkes Tourism in Sligo Report 2012, ‘Lady Anne Walk’
Image: Hazelwood House, Lawrence Collection, NLI.ie
Woodmartin, History of Sligo, Vol. 3, 1891
I don’t understand why this walk is linked by name (Lady Anne) to the original walk/pass between Ardaghowen House and Hazelwood House which implies that it is in our around the same location which is clearly not the case. The newly opened walk is approx 5km removed from Hazelwood House and on a very different and separate promontory. The new walk is very pleasant and very welcome but I’m just curious at the name of was given.
Hi Anne, possibly playing homage to the original walk? since its close by or when the walk is finished it will encompass part of the original Lady Anne drive? Check out this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1458779737764023/permalink/2499419590366694/ you could post your query there, a few members of the Local Calry history society will be able to clarify.
Kind regards Mel