Mountsandel Wood

We were commissioned by Coleraine Borough Council
to design and build an interpretative trail in Mountsandel Wood.

Feeling that the significance of the site deserved an interpretation that
was unique and built to last, we decided to utilise native oak structures
to support bronze cast panels.

Through careful planning we produced a robust outdoor interpretative trail which is sympathetic to its surroundings and merits the Mountsandel site’s historical importance.

We established a project board made up of at least one member from each organisation – Coleraine Borough Council, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the Forest Service and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency – to ensure that everyone with a vested interest in the project was suitably represented. 

The full set of interpretation consists of 

• Welcome and orientation panels at the two entrances of
  Mountsandel Wood

• A panel on the origins of Mountsandel Fort beside the
  Norman Motte

• A panel on Mesolithic man and the excavations of the 1970s, 
  close to the dig site.

We also developed a separate education based trail for children called
the ‘Woodland Trail’.  

A benefit of using cast bronze is that children love to take rubbings of the illustrations so that they can record all the native flora and fauna.

Given the value of the bronze used we went the extra mile to design and produce secure structures with a number of antitheft features.

We went the extra mile to design and produce secure structures with a number of antitheft features