Overview
Craigavon is one of the few places in Ireland that was designed before it was built. Planners in the 1960s set out to link the old towns of Lurgan and Portadown into a single ‘new city’, and the twin lakes at its centre were dug as part of that scheme. They are not a natural lakeshore and they are not on Lough Neagh, though the great lough’s southern shore is only a short drive west. What you get instead is a tidy, entirely traffic-free park: flat paved loops you can walk, cycle or push a pram around without meeting a car. A few miles east, near Bessbrook, the Craigmore Viaduct does something the lakes never will: it makes you stop and look up.
If you have time for only one of the two, make it the viaduct. The lakes are pleasant; the viaduct is genuinely impressive.
Craigavon Lakes
The two lakes were laid out as a public park and recreation hub, ringed by wide level paths that form part of National Cycle Network Route 9. The flat ground and clean surfacing make this an easy outing for families, wheelchair users and anyone who would rather not share a route with traffic. The lakes themselves are used for watersports: kayaking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing and water skiing all run here in season.
Picnic benches and public toilets sit near the main car parks. The paths are dog-friendly throughout. It is a good place to stretch your legs for an hour rather than a destination in its own right, and on a grey day there is not a great deal to it beyond the walk.
Craigmore Viaduct
Rising 126 feet (38 metres) above the Camlough valley, Craigmore is the highest viaduct in Ireland. Its 18 granite arches run for about a quarter of a mile, carrying the Belfast–Dublin railway line across the valley floor. It was designed by the Irish civil engineer John Benjamin Macneill; construction began in 1849 and the viaduct opened in 1852. It is still in daily use, with the cross-border Enterprise service among the trains that cross it.
Most visitors view it from the base, where the surrounding upland gives several angles on the full sweep of arches. It is visible from a long way off across south Armagh, so you will likely spot it before you reach it. The granite takes late-afternoon light well, which is the photographer’s hour here.
The bridge also carries a more recent history. On 2 March 1989 a Provisional IRA bomb damaged the viaduct, exploding four minutes before a Dublin-bound passenger train was due to leave Newry. The line closed and reopened six days later, on 8 March. The valley around the base is exposed, so bring a jacket even in summer.
The new city
The plan to build Craigavon was inspired by the post-war new towns of England and Scotland, and the Craigavon Development Commission was set up in 1966 to deliver it. The design separated pedestrians from traffic and made room for green space and water on a scale most Irish towns never had. The full masterplan was never finished, but the lakes, the civic core and the linear layout between Lurgan and Portadown remain a working example of mid-century town planning. Craigavon Museum Services keeps an exhibition charting how the city came to be.
Practical information
| Feature | Craigavon Lakes | Craigmore Viaduct |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | Open-access public park, no charge | Free to view from public roads and laybys |
| Parking | Car parks at the lakeside promenade | Unmarked layby off Craigmore Road near Bessbrook |
| Accessibility | Paved, level, wheelchair-friendly paths | Open, uneven ground near the base; no facilities |
Opening hours for either site are not formally posted; both are open landscapes you can visit at any reasonable time. For up-to-date visitor information, the borough’s tourism is handled through visitarmagh.com, or in person at Armagh County Museum on The Mall East (Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm, free admission).
Getting there
By car – The M1 gives direct access; Craigavon Lakes are signposted from the Lurgan and Portadown exits. For Craigmore Viaduct, take the Bessbrook exit and follow signs to Craigmore Road. The drive between the two is roughly 20 minutes.
By bus and train – Regular Translink services link Lurgan, Portadown and Craigavon town centre; check timetables, as evening and weekend frequencies drop. The Enterprise stops at Portadown station, from where a short taxi or local bus reaches the viaduct area.
Nearby
The Lough Neagh shore proper lies a short drive west, where there is more to do than around the lakes. Oxford Island Nature Reserve is a wetland reserve with wildlife hides and boardwalks; the adjacent Lough Neagh Discovery Centre has interactive exhibits and a café. Moneypenny’s Lock, the last lock on the Newry Canal before it joins the River Bann, sits within the borough and makes a quiet towpath stop. Further afield:
- Ardress House – an 18th-century National Trust property with period gardens.
- Brownlow House – a historic estate in parkland, used for events and heritage tours.
- Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark – a UNESCO Global Geopark with walking routes and visitor centres across the wider region.