Description
Gortin, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
On a normal road near Gortin, you could easily drive past this large patch of forest & see nothing of interest. Thousands drive pass each year never realising what lies hidden in the centre of this small forest. Nothing can be seen from any angle on the outside other than tall pine trees and dense woodland.
This is what lies completely hidden from the public for all these years! It was once a popular outdoor museum called the “Ulster History Park”. First opened in 1990 it was geniously constructed to include a monk’s round tower, 2 castles, mills & various houses, standing stone circles, wedge/portal tombs, an artificial lake & island dwelling all to show visitors what life here in Ireland was like thousands of years ago.
I remember visiting this amazing park as a child & some of my most memorable family moments are from here. Sadly it declined & closed its doors over a decade ago. Nothing was ever touched & all remains just as it was on the very day it closed. Since then Mother Nature has started to slowly re-consume the entire park. It looks absolutely stunning now that it’s all overgrown & actually looks like you are gazing back in time, witnessing how ancient Ireland once looked. In my opinion it is now a small Lost Kingdom. I hope my photo does some justice towards this park getting reopened someday. It is unique in this area and deserves to be appreciated by tourists & families of today.
