Mourne Wall

The Mourne Wall is a dry stone wall from raw granite stones. It is about 35 km long and encloses an area of 36 km ² in the Mourne Mountains. It crosses this 15 summit including the Slieve Donard to the highest mountain in Northern Ireland. The wall is up to 2.4 m high and 0.9 m thick.

History

The rapid growth forced the Belfast City Council from 1891 to look for new areas for additional drinking water. The appropriate area was quickly found in the rainy Mourne Mountains. Between 1893 and 1899, the Parliament approved the purchase of 9,000 acres (36 km ²) land in the Mournes. As early as 1901 the first water flowed to Belfast. The Mourne Wall was built in 1904-1922 by the Belfast Water Commissioners to the acquired land. You should keep to safeguard drinking water quality, sheep and cattle from the headwaters out. Following the Silent Valley Reservoir was built as an additional water storage for Belfast. Both buildings created at this time much needed jobs.

Today

The wall is in possession of the DRD Water Service. Their original purpose, they no longer met, since it is forfeited in some places and the sheep did so found a way into the headwaters. Since nowadays the possibilities of water treatment are well advanced, but goes by the animals no longer any danger from. The wall serves as a signpost for hikers, as it leads to the most of the peaks of the Mourne Mountains. Brave Wanderer they try on a day to migrate.