Clara’s oak wood is one of a handful in Ireland that has been under trees, in some form, since the last Ice Age. At 220 hectares it is the largest area of semi-natural woodland in County Wicklow and possibly the biggest surviving stand of native hardwood in the country. The National Parks & Wildlife Service gave it formal protection in 1983, and it now forms the core of the Vale of Clara (Rathdrum Wood) Special Area of Conservation. On the ground that means oak, hazel, birch, willow and holly, a spring floor of bluebell and wood sorrel, and the Avonmore River threading straight through the middle of it.
The walks
Three colour-coded loops start from the lower trailhead, the first one you reach coming in from the church: 2 km, 5.6 km and 9.5 km. If you have only an hour, take the 2 km loop – it hugs the river and gives you the best of the old oaks without the climbing. The two longer loops gain height and can also be picked up from the upper trailhead, about 200 m further up the hill. Wear boots whichever you choose; the forest floor is muddy and laced with roots in the wet.
The Avonmore Way, the waymarked route between Laragh and Rathdrum, runs through the reserve. A footbridge near Ballygannon Woods now links it to the Ballygannon car park, so you can walk in from Rathdrum without a car; from the footbridge down to Clara Bridge and back is about 8.5 km.
Ballygannon Wood and the Millennium Forest
At the southern end, Ballygannon Wood holds one of Ireland’s Millennium Forests – more than 40,000 native oaks planted around the year 2000. It is flatter, easier going than the older wood upriver, and the better choice with younger children or less time.
Wildlife
Fallow deer graze the glades and river edges, and there are red squirrels if you are quiet and patient. The bird list is the reason serious birdwatchers come: long-eared owl, great spotted woodpecker, crossbill, jay, treecreeper, buzzard and woodcock, redstart in the canopy and dipper working the river stones. Early morning is far better than midday for any of it.
Clara Bridge
The six-arch stone bridge at Clara, beside the small church, dates from the late 17th century and is reckoned to be the oldest bridge in County Wicklow. The church and bridge together are the reserve’s most photographed spot, and the easiest thing to see if you are just passing – pull in, cross the river, and you are back on the road inside ten minutes.
Getting there and parking
The reserve is about 5 km north of Laragh off the R755. Parking is the pinch point. The car park at Clara Vale church is small and gone by late morning on a fine weekend; there are further car parks at Ballygannon Woods and at Clara Bridge. Rathdrum, on the Dublin–Rosslare line, is the nearest train station and drops you within walking distance of the southern end via the new footbridge.
There are no toilets in the reserve, so use Laragh or Rathdrum first. The NPWS asks visitors to leave dogs at home here, to protect the deer and ground-nesting birds. The paths are uneven with steps in places and are not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
When to go
Spring for the bluebells and the first leaf; autumn for leaf colour and fungi on the forest floor; winter for bare trunks and near-total quiet. After heavy rain the Avonmore rises fast and the lower paths turn slippery, so check the river before setting out in spate – and on any fine weekend, get there early, because that church car park is the thing most likely to catch you out.