Mealagh Valley Loop Walk

Back in April, we walked this loop on a warm sunny day, stopping for lunch at this little wedge tomb. The route is described on the Sheep’s Head Way website. The Mealagh is a beautiful valley with lush green fields and many archaeological sites. (Roaringwater Journal)
Lisheenacrehig Loop

One of the Fastnet Trail Loops that we have walked before. These old buildings at the once busy Roaringwater are always worth a sketch. Here is my map of the route
Castle Freke

The woods were covered in bluebells when we visited. The ruined church sits beyond a forest plantation with views down to the coast. The burial ground has some interesting headstones but the whole site feels quite forlorn.
Gouladoo Holy Well

This little well sits in a bank on the north side of the Sheep’s Head. It has a recently added sign from the road and a ladder stile over the fence. In front of the well is a spectacular site of a promontory fort on a small headland that falls precipitously to the sea with a rock arch and many nesting gulls on the rock ledges below. Finola of the Roaringwater journal has written up this visit and Herself recorded the well back in 2016.
Comments
Some rather lovely sketches from our let out of 5kms walks. Each one very different but each has captured the essence of the place and what a lot of history and stories captured.
Really evocative sketches – you have captured the details and the spirit of these special places.
I’m curious as to whether you complete your beautiful sketches at the scene or whether you take enough notes to complete them at home later. Whichever, they always work out beautifully – thank you for sharing them.
These days I am mostly working from photographs at home. I do prefer to draw in situ but that is not always possible especially when in company.
I particularly like the Castle Freke image: they are all excellent and represent many paths travelled by us all.