Carriglead Lock

On exiting Lower Tinnahinch , keep to the left of the channel / east bank as there are two small weirs, which are usually submerged.

Carriglead Lock is the oldest on the navigation and has a 1.78m / 9 ft fall.

600 m south of the lock is Freney’s Chair.  Freney the 18^th Century highwayman used to use it as a reference mark for hidden loot on Brandon Hill.  Freney evaded capture over the years with various tricks –one was reversing his horse’s shoes

Bahana Wood

Brandon Hill rises steeply on the west bank and on the east bank slopes Bahana Wood. An 18^th century limekiln marks the turn into the woods and the start of the Slí na Sláinte trail. 

Bahana derives its name from beith, the Irish for birch.   The forest contains some remnants of old oak woodlands and a nice stand of beech. There is a great variety of conifers including Douglas fir, Scots pine, Norway spruce, Japanese larch, and Western Hemlock. Birch and holly abound with some ash and hazel.  Woodcock, pheasant and a variety of riparian bird life are in the area. Rabbits, red squirrel and occasionally the otter can be glimpsed on the riverbank.

St. Mullins Cut

On entering the last lock on the navigation, you pass under a lifting bridge, which is usually open.  Before continuing down through the lock, consider the tide implications, as outlined in the next section.  Thomas Omer designed this and other lock houses on the Grand Canal and Lagan in the 1760s.  It was later used as a wood ranger’s house.  In recent times, it has been tastefully extended. The towpath down river to St. Mullins provides a nice walk but is prone to flooding in high water.  Alternatively, the forest track from the lifting bridge although rough, is accessible by car.