Fieldtrips
Two field trips are proposed for Friday 9th May. These are provisionally planned for the morning, with a lunch stop and then some flexibility for the afternoon to facilitate delegates' onward travel requirements.
Field Trip 1: The Geology, History and Legends of Cave Hill
Leader: Professor Graeme Swindles
This walking-based excursion explores the dramatic landscape of Cave Hill, a prominent basaltic outcrop overlooking Belfast. Starting at Belfast Castle, we ascend through woodland and past archaeological sites, following the path towards the summit. Along the way, we examine the striking geological formations of the Belfast Hills, shaped by volcanic activity millions of years ago, and discuss their role in the region’s industrial history, from basalt quarrying to lime production.
The hill’s distinctive profile, said to have inspired Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, provides an opportunity to discuss the intersection of natural history and folklore. We will visit the Devil’s Punchbowl and the caves that give the hill its name, considering their possible prehistoric and historic use. Views from McArt’s Fort, an Iron Age rath, allow for discussion of the site’s strategic significance in past conflicts and rebellions.
Beyond geology and history, we will reflect on Cave Hill’s role in Belfast’s cultural memory, from radical politics to its place as a green refuge in an urban environment. The return route takes us via Napoleon’s Nose, offering insights into the ecological conservation of Belfast’s upland peatland landscapes and their enduring connection to the city below.
Leader: Professor Graeme Swindles
This walking-based excursion explores the dramatic landscape of Cave Hill, a prominent basaltic outcrop overlooking Belfast. Starting at Belfast Castle, we ascend through woodland and past archaeological sites, following the path towards the summit. Along the way, we examine the striking geological formations of the Belfast Hills, shaped by volcanic activity millions of years ago, and discuss their role in the region’s industrial history, from basalt quarrying to lime production.
The hill’s distinctive profile, said to have inspired Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, provides an opportunity to discuss the intersection of natural history and folklore. We will visit the Devil’s Punchbowl and the caves that give the hill its name, considering their possible prehistoric and historic use. Views from McArt’s Fort, an Iron Age rath, allow for discussion of the site’s strategic significance in past conflicts and rebellions.
Beyond geology and history, we will reflect on Cave Hill’s role in Belfast’s cultural memory, from radical politics to its place as a green refuge in an urban environment. The return route takes us via Napoleon’s Nose, offering insights into the ecological conservation of Belfast’s upland peatland landscapes and their enduring connection to the city below.
Field Trip 2: The Troubled Environment of Past Belfast
Leader: Alastair Ruffell
This coach-based excursion will take an east-west transect through Belfast. Starting at Stormont, along the Newtownards Road, through the Docklands/Titanic Quarter (and Game of Thrones Painthall), across to the city centre. We then visit the Peace Wall, Falls Road, Milltown Cemetery, to Hannahstown and finish in the hills of West Belfast. The field leader has worked on forensic geology cases along the route, from the Loyalist feuds of the 2000s, the legacy of the IRA campaigns and domestic homicides: these will be interspersed with the traditional bus tour stops, showing how our past legacy has turned to renewal, memorialization and regeneration.
Leader: Alastair Ruffell
This coach-based excursion will take an east-west transect through Belfast. Starting at Stormont, along the Newtownards Road, through the Docklands/Titanic Quarter (and Game of Thrones Painthall), across to the city centre. We then visit the Peace Wall, Falls Road, Milltown Cemetery, to Hannahstown and finish in the hills of West Belfast. The field leader has worked on forensic geology cases along the route, from the Loyalist feuds of the 2000s, the legacy of the IRA campaigns and domestic homicides: these will be interspersed with the traditional bus tour stops, showing how our past legacy has turned to renewal, memorialization and regeneration.