Dark Hedges

The Stuart family planted around one hundred and fifty beeches along the approach to Gracehill House in the 1770s so that guests would arrive through an avenue; the trees have since grown into each other overhead and their branches interlock, producing the tunnel that photographs so well. Around ninety survive. The avenue became internationally known as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones and visitor numbers rose from very few to hundreds of thousands, which brought problems: root compaction from foot traffic, damage from vehicles, and storms in 2016 and after taking several trees. The road has been closed to traffic and a car park built a short walk away. Arboricultural surveys have suggested the remaining trees have limited time left, and replanting has begun alongside.

What you actually see

• The interlocking canopy - beech branches meeting overhead across the lane.
• The 1770s planting - an avenue laid out as an approach to a Georgian house.
• The ninety survivors - what remains of around a hundred and fifty trees.
• The replanting - young beeches set alongside for the avenue's next century.

When to go

Year-round; winter shows the branch structure best and autumn gives colour. Early morning is the only realistic time to photograph it without people, since it is busy from mid-morning through the day.

Honest expectations

The road is closed to vehicles and parking is at a car park a walk away, with the nearby hotel's parking reserved for guests. The avenue is short and the visit brief. It is crowded most of the day and the trees are visibly ageing, with gaps where storms took them.

Nearby

Ballycastle and the Causeway coast lie north; Ballymoney is south.