Redburn Country Park is set on an escarpment overlooking Belfast Lough. It includes the mature beech woods and the scrub and grasslands at the top of the hill. Redburn provides pleasant walks in all seasons but spring is the best time to see the spectacular woodland carpet of bluebells, wood sorrel and anemones.
The dense canopy of beech wood provides good shelter for many common birds such as tits and finches, while in summer, willow warbler and blackcaps may be found in the scrub and gorse at the top of the hill. Mammals too are plentiful with rabbits grazing in the open glades; and you may be lucky to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Park's shyest resident, the Red Squirrel.
Once at the top of the escarpment, the climb is rewarded by breathtaking views of Belfast and the south Antrim hills.
Until the 1940's, most of the land which now comprises the park, was owned by the Dunville family of Redburn House. Their home stood on the present site of the Holywood Private Nursing Home. The family owned the famous Dunville Whiskey Company in Belfast. At one time, this was the largest distillery in the world. Although the family only lived at Redburn for part of the year, tales of their unusual lifestyle have been passed on through the years. Who could forget "Bruno", Dunville's pet bear and one of a number of exotic animals he kept in a private zoo established after the first world war.
Open access all year round