Mangan's loop

Suits: Younger walkers, ages 4-9.

Hike: You really are travelling in time in Tomnafinogue forest. The virgin oak here hints at forests that once covered south Wicklow, their wood shoring up everything from British navy ships to Westminister Hall and Trinity College. Thankfully saved from clear-felling, walks today include 1.3km, 3.2km and 4km trails, and woodland sculptures add to the feeling of enchantment. Mangan’s Loop is a longer 5km, marked by green arrows. It starts with a stiff climb up Garryhoe Hill, includes a linear section of the old railway route, and crosses the Derry river to dip into the oak woods. It will tire younger walkers, but with proper planning, stops (and treats), should be short enough to manage. – PÓC

Start and Finish at: Tomnafinogue Woods car park; Tinahely.

Level: Easy/Moderate.

Length / Time: 3km (Tomnafinogue; allow 1-2 hours); 5km (Mangan’s Loop; 1.5-2 hours).

Pack: Any info you can bring on oak trees will be lapped up — as well as bookmarked photos of the oak beams in Trinity or Westminister. Birders should take their binoculars; you may see kingfishers and woodpeckers en route.