Hanging to the side of the cliffs of the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland, The Gobbins is a cliff path walk originally opened in 1902. It’s an attraction that, in its time, was more popular than the Giant’s Causeway. Now, following a £7.5m renovation, it has reopened. But as Pauline Bull, from Northamptonshire-based Taurus Holidays, reports, while it’s certainly spectacular, it’s not an attraction for the faint hearted
The publicity sets the scene, reminding the reader that The Gobbins gives visitors the chance to “uncover the once hidden wonder of the Antrim coast and indulge in an exhilarating cliff path walk”.
The 2.4km walk takes you across tubular suspension bridges, into caves, up and down steps, and through tunnels carved through the spectacular rock face.
The Gobbins, which is located at Islandmagee, around 20 miles north of Belfast, has been described as a “re-imagined treasure that has brought what was once a thriving 1900s tourism hotspot into the 21st century”.
Earlier this year, on a group tour to the area, there was an opportunity to find out more about this Victorian delight. Today’s path follows the Victorian route but uses modern materials (stainless steel) to stop the elements taking their toll.
Our coach dropped us off at the new state-of-the art visitor centre. There are toilets, a cafe, an interpretation and exhibition space, a shop selling local crafts and branded souvenirs, and a tourist information point.
The group was inspected for our footwear. We had been pre-warned to bring suitable walking shoes and outdoor clothing. The indication that this wasn’t going to be a gentle stroll was reinforced by a sign indicating that walking boots are available if you don’t have the appropriate footwear!
There’s a short introductory film, and then we were given hard hats, another indication of the unusual nature of what was to come.
A minibus, provided by a local operator, takes you the 10 minutes or so to the start of the path.
It’s worth noting that groups are limited to 15 in number and there’s a 30-minute interval between departures. This ensures the path doesn’t become too crowded, and allows groups, who have a guide at both front and rear, and in radio contact with each other, to pass safely at recognised passing points.
Leaving the minibus we started our decent down a very steep path and a further 100 steps to an almost level part of the route. This is Wise’s Eye, a big hole in the rock through which the path is cut, and the official start of The Gobbins.
The steps had given one or two of the group some concerns, but they, and the rest of us, had seen nothing! Wise’s Eye is the start of what I can only describe as a white knuckle walk.
We had a guide in front and another bringing up the rear, both in radio contact with base.
The path boasts a diverse range of wildlife with visitors gaining privileged access to Northern Ireland’s only mainland colony of Puffins. We were asked to look out for the many other different birds that live in the high cliffs: guillemots, razorbills, cormorants, kittiwakes and shags. These all crowd the cliffs in breeding times, another reason for wearing a hard hat, but they’re fascinating to watch as they dive into the sea for fish.
The Gobbins has been cut into the rock face to the left of Wise’s Eye, and you have to pass through this to start the main walk.
In Victorian times, this is where you had to pay to enter the park unless you came by train and the entrance fee was included.
We then started our long walk along the uneven and rocky pathways. These have been kept much as they would have been in Victorian times, but today the old iron railings have been replaced with stainless steel.
The walk takes you over 15 bridges, some of which were very narrow. We had to keep our eyes on the sea at all times as it was high tide during our visit and it soon became clear that the sea could sometimes reach the paths we were walking on.
We walked on to Sandy Cove, a location used both for groups to take a rest, and as a passing place for groups coming in the other direction.
We then came to one of the stand-out attractions of the walkway, the tubular suspension bridge. Built to the same design as the original Victorian bridge, it stands around 10m above the sea.
A new metal walkway now continues along the cliff face. It has been built to a similar design to the old one, using metal brackets in the cliff face.
The walk is up and down all the way, but with ever-changing views. At one point you come to the ‘aquarium’, so called because of the views of different types of seaweed and fish.
Around the next corner and we came to a cave. The waves were crashing over the path, so we had great fun trying to beat the wave to reach the cave without getting wet. At one point we were concentrating so much on the waves in front of us, we didn’t see a wave coming up behind us. We got soaked!
The route into the low-roofed cave through a tunnel uses the original Victorian steps. Thank goodness for the hard hats. The tunnel is below sea level so there are yet more steps to climb as you leave.
Then, just when you think you’ve had enough excitement, you come to a swinging bridge. The original bridge was made from rope, wire and wood, which used to bounce when walked upon. The new bridge is made of steel, but walking across it is still an adventure.
The walk currently ends at Gordon’s Leap, but we decided not to re-enact that piece of history!
The path has no exit at the end so you have to retrace your steps.
Knowing what to expect is a definite advantage, and gives you the opportunity to take in the wonders of the Victorian age of engineering, including the visible remains of all the old supports.
It’s a great walk along the path, testing your reactions with the sea. Most of us got wet at some time, so go prepared.
There’s a somewhat arduous walk back up the steps and the steep winding path to our welcoming minibus. There’s a 4×4 in case there’s anyone who can’t make it from Wise’s Eye. Back at the visitor centre we enjoyed some well-earned refreshments, meeting up with some of the group who had passed on the opportunity to get soaked! A live webcam shows them some of what they’ve missed.
The Gobbins is what you might describe as a ‘real’ walk, challenging but exciting, and requiring a reasonable level of fitness. The whole visit lasts around two and a half hours. The normal adult price is £8.50 per person but there are discounts of 10% for groups of 10 or more. The tour leader goes free and there’s free refreshments for the coach driver and group organiser. Check the website for the comprehensive Group Bookings Guide.
This is a superb new attraction that’s well worth including in a traditional itinerary covering Co. Antrim.
- For more information, go to www.thegobbinscliffpath.com, call the visitor centre on 028 9337 2318, or email groups@thegobbinscliffpath.com
