Moneyneany-Goles Bridge

Leave your car in the village of Moneyneany ( B40 Draperstown to Feeny road). Walk from the village and over the Douglas river, beyond the river turn right onto the Drumderg road and follow the Ulster Way marker posts.  At Crockataggart, Huidi’s Way goes to the right, but continue straight on and upwards along the Ulster Way.  Beyond Drumderg the road becomes a track, this will carry you to the top of Crockmore ( 478m) and onwards to the west side of Crockbrack . 

On the way up, take a breather to look back and enjoy the panoramic view to the north, east and south. The crags of Binevenagh and Ben Benbradagh lie to the north beyond Mullaghmore mountain.  The dark green softwood trees in Moydamlaght Forest on the western slopes of Mullaghmore catch the eye strongly and appears almost touchable across the valley.  Further east Lough Neagh can be seen-a long ribbon of white close to the skyline , framed by a large basin of fertile farmland, with only Slemish, an ancient volcanic plug breaking the skyline behind.

Immediately north of the lough, Knocklayd and other Antrim hills can be seen over 30 miles away. The Belfast Hills, and the Mournes ( 50 miles away) lie to the south, and a much closer Slieve Gallion with its telecommunications mast completes the panorama.

You may notice a large 12ft. tall glacial erratic about 100yds to the north in a marshy field to the left of the track, it is composed of ancient folded schist, a rock some 450 million years old .

Crockmore is capped by deteriorating blanket bog, just beyond the summit the road forks, turn right and continue towards Crockbrack         ( 526m). At the end of the track take a few minutes  and make your way to the top. On a clear day you will be rewarded with excellent views across the Sperrins and beyond to Donegal, In good weather you can pick out both Muckish and Errigal. To the southwest, only a few miles away, Goles Forest and the B47 road running from Draperstown to Plumbridge should be obvious . 

Return from Crockbrack summit to the end of the track and follow a fence line leading southwest. Leave this when it bends to the right and descend southwest for 2000m .  Cross the Glengomma Water and soon reach the B47.  Continue along the B47 a short distance  beyond Goles Bridge and have a look at the Goles Stone Row(3000 to 4000 years old) and believed to be associated with rising moon rituals(H670947). 

From here the Ulster Way enters and follows the Glenelly Valley for a few miles .