our history starts here
Development
Mountsandel development
Mountsandel Discovery & Heritage Group (MDHG) continues to work on projects to promote Mountsandel and to lobby and work with local authorities and stakeholders to further plans for the development of Mountsandel as a world-class visitor attraction.
The Mesolithic Dig Site has remained undeveloped since the archaeologists left in 1977. The Causeway Borough Council had provided signage to the iconic features of the site and forest which is still relevant today.
There has been much discussion and deliberation as to what is the best management and presentation of the Mountsandel site. The impressive Anglo-Norman fort and the forest walks have been a local attraction and recreational amenity for the people of Coleraine for many years.
The archaeological excavations carried out between 1973 and 1977 uncovered evidence of habitation some 10,000 years ago and with this the significance of the site gives Coleraine the claim of having Ireland’s earliest settlement, referred to by Professor Woodman as ‘the cradle of civilisation in Ireland.’
Heritage Renewal
In 2017 Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council (CC&GBC) published a ‘Mountsandel Blueprint’ which is a plan for the development of Mountsandel as a heritage attraction. This plan includes proposals for visitor facilities and car parking near Castleroe, Coleraine and linked to Mountsandel Forest via a new footbridge. The Blueprint also includes plans to develop visitor interpretation, access and regeneration for Mountsandel Forest, Somerset Forest and nearby Christie Park, Coleraine.
MDHG supports this plan for development – we feel that Mountsandel is overlooked and underutilised and could be an important tool for the regeneration of Coleraine. We believe that Mountsandel is an untapped resource which could have significant economic, social and educational benefits for the people of Coleraine and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough. In March 2019 MDHG presented to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on the potential benefits of Mountsandel’s development and we will continue to work to ensure the success of this project.
Through the efforts of the MDHG and CC&GBC the Mesolithic Dig Site at Mountsandel came into public ownership in 2022. This initiative is a big step towards enabling the Dig Site to be cleared and enhanced adding to the appeal to the local community and visitors alike.
(Click the image to access the document)
Mountsandel blueprint
The MDHG will continue to work with our partner agencies to develop the site.
Through appropriate development and conservation, the custodians of the site will bring our shared history to light and make it accessible to the wider community and visitors.
Through using creative and inspirational, yet authentic, stories, it is proposed to bring the story of Mountsandel to life by using vivid and unforgettable imagery to entertain, inform and energise its visitors