Glengarriff Woods
Glengarriff Lodge is adjacent to the spectacular Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve. The woods are nestled in the shelter of the glen, between the Caha mountains and the beautiful harbour of Glengarriff. The Nature Reserve is approximately 300 Ha and is comprised of mixed woodlands. The dominant habitat is old oak woodland and the woods form one of the best examples of oceanic sessile oak woodland in Ireland, being rated second only in importance to the Killarney oakwoods.
In other areas of the wood young woodland has been planted to regenerate areas which have been cleared of non-native conifers over the last few years. The Nature Reserve is part of the much larger Glengarriff Harbour & Woodlands Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
At one time the woods were part of Lord Bantry’s estate, but they were handed over to the State in 1955 for forestry purposes. However in 1991, the woods were designated as a Nature Reserve and the woodland is now owned and managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service primarily for conservation and amenity purposes.
