The Creation of Crawfordsburn Country Park by Joe Furphy OBE

Note: Joe Furphy OBE, oversaw the original creation and opening of the park together with his team of staff.

The first legislation to enable a governmental role in nature and countryside management was the Amenity Lands Act, which became operational on 1st April 1965. Among its various powers, it allowed the Department (then the Ministry of Health and Local Government) to acquire, compulsorily if necessary, land for the purposes of establishing ‘amenity areas’ and nature reserves. Two advisory committees were established – the Ulster Countryside Committee, chaired by Professor Arthur Muskett and the Nature Reserves Committee which was short of a chairman for some time as the appointee, Professor Karl Emeleus, resigned before the rest of the committee was agreed.

The administrative structure inside the then Amenity Lands Branch at the beginning was – Principal Richard (Dick) S Rogers, Deputy Principal Roy Ingram, two junior administrators and one clerk. Dick Rogers had a long history of involvement in countryside matters; he was a founder member of both the Youth Hostel Association of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside; he was also the first Honorary Secretary of the National Trust in Northern Ireland.    

The scientific staff had to be recruited from outside; Peter Pearson, a Scottish geography graduate had joined in September 1965; unfortunately 1st November was the earliest I – also a geography graduate – could be released from my teaching post.

We were very fortunate that in 1962 there had been published the plan for the development of the Greater Belfast Area – led by Sir Robert Matthew. This had introduced many far-sighted plans for countryside protection and public enjoyment, including what would become in time the Country Parks of Crawfordsburn/Helen’s Bay and Scrabo. Also relevant in terms of Crawfordsburn was the new (for Northern Ireland) concept of a public coastal way – the North Down Coast Path.

Once the legislation was enacted, Dick Rogers began work on acquisitions, with negotiations re Crawfordsburn a priority. These were primarily with the Clandeboye Estate (the major landowner in North Down), Northern Ireland Tuberculosis Authority (owners of the Hospital which occupied the house and grounds of the former Crawfordsburn House) and the Crown Estate Commissioners (owners of the foreshore). All those negotiations were successful, however a later attempt to purchase the house at the southern end of Helen’s Bay beach was blocked by senior Department staff on cost grounds; this purchase would have permitted close access to the shore along the entire length of the Coast Path – instead walkers have to make a short deviation onto a public road. Much later it was felt that perhaps the then recently vacated Hospital should be acquired as the headquarters for the Branch but this too failed to get support from highest authority, although the location and ambience would have suited in many aspects.

In 1965 Peter Pearson’s first tasks were to produce plans for the development of the Country Park and allied to that the Coast Path. He then quickly was asked to carry out similar duties at O’Cahan’s Rock – the first acquisition as part of what became the Roe Valley Country Park – and to produce a boundary for the North Derry Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. When I joined, my Matthew Plan duties involved mapping in detail the walking routes in the Belfast Hills and considering outline plans for Scrabo Country Park; I also had to make the case for acquisition of Ness Wood as an amenity area and draw the boundary of the Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.     

 In 1966 Pearson moved to a post in the Planning Service and I was given his duties at Crawfordsburn among other tasks. I duly produced the first plans for the development of Crawfordsburn which essentially covered creation of new paths, upgrading of existing ones, provision of toilets and clearing vegetation to create a car park. When these plans were presented to the Ulster Countryside Committee (UCC), there was derision at my suggestion that the car park design was for 48 cars; I was told in no uncertain terms that that was too large! From 1969 onwards I was proved wrong – but only because the provision was too small by quite a factor!

We needed staff on the ground to carry out this work and so a small group was recruited with a foreman in charge. As the time towards opening to the public neared, it was clear that this group was both too small and lacked some essential skills to complete the task, and so I obtained the loan of a team from the Forest Service, with a forester in charge. This saved the situation and the Park was able to be opened in time and in fine order.

One part of my development proposals did not meet with general approval – that was the provision of a small car park close to the entrance of Helen’s Bay. Objections came from locals, particularly residents of Church Road, at the rear of whose houses the proposed car park was sited. A Public Inquiry was held, and despite my lowly rank, I had to make the Department’s case and be cross-questioned; the only thing I remember was the fact that I had a disagreement during the proceedings with the County Planning Officer. The Inspector of the Inquiry thankfully supported the Department’s case. The car park was later increased in size and the toilet block improved.

At the outset, it was clear that there was considerable erosion of the shore and that it was essential that steps needed to be taken in order to prevent a loss of valuable land. At that time there was a system whereby the Army undertook engineering projects on behalf of the public. We were able to benefit from this system in advance of the opening. The major in charge of the project was keen to use a new method, which in contrast to traditional means of combatting coastal erosion was to build a sloping wall using large boulders with the gaps between them being left open thus allowing wave action to be dissipated. We convinced the UCC that this was infinitely preferable to the traditional vertical solid wall and as the slope is still there and operational after fifty years it shows the wisdom of the decision.

In the early days I had to step beyond normal Civil Service practice and arrange for outside help to undertake certain management activities and I was very grateful both to the Helen’s Bay Golf Club who helped with mowing and to Francis Geddis who undertook some grazing for us. 

It was necessary to have a building which would serve as an office, a base for the staff and a store for equipment. A wooden structure was erected adjacent to what is now the lower carpark. This lasted until replaced by the major centre (in 1988), despite being damaged when a tree fell on it, fortunately without human injury.   

We were able to open the Park to the public unofficially in 1969. It immediately became an attraction not just to locals but some from further afield. In the succeeding months until we closed it some weeks before the official opening, it became a big attraction to the people of east Belfast. They were already suffering in the early stages of ‘The Troubles’ and Crawfordsburn was the nearest beach to them which was easily accessible. Not only were there car parks but also two convenient railway stations, as there was in those days a halt built to allow staff and visitors easy access to the hospital.  

In 1970 we appointed the first Warden – Derek (Gus) Drew, who transferred from the Forest Service and with his easy conversational style made himself a popular member of the community. His overall contribution to the success of the Park cannot be overestimated.  

My last major task was to prepare for the grand opening in 1971. It was definitely a day for suits all round, as the major guests included the Governor, Earl Grey of Naunton, the Prime Minister, Brian Faulkner and various local dignitaries plus UCC members and members of the local councils. My recollections of the day are hazy; I think staff met on site at 7.00 a.m. to check that all was well before final preparations for the ceremony. As we had closed the site to the public a few weeks prior, there was no crowd control problem. I do remember one local Council member arriving with his dog in the front seat and his wife in the rear seat! After the actual ceremony, I led the principal guests on a walk along the seafront, which was looking splendid on what was a beautiful summer morning!

Thanks to Joe Furphy OBE for providing the images.