Minnowburn, Terrace Hill and the Giant's Ring

From Minnowburn car park, the National Trust's Giant's Ring circular walk rises gently through woodland and farmland by Terrace Hill garden, with views across the Lagan Valley, to the Giant's Ring, and takes in the glacial amphitheatre of the Sandpit Field on the way round.

The Giant's Ring is a Neolithic henge about 180 m across and 4 m high, built around 2700 BC, with a passage tomb of five uprights and a capstone at its centre. The Sandpit Field below is a hollow carved by glaciers, where a free concert called Pop for Peace was held in August 1969.

It is 3.6 km round with 44 m of ascent; allow about 1 hour. The grade is Easy: paths, field edges and a little road, with steps and stiles. The National Trust gives the walk as 3.5 km and 1 hour 20 minutes.

Keep dogs on leads, particularly in fields with livestock such as the Sandpit Field. The route crosses roads where traffic may be passing, and it can be slippery when wet.

Parking at Minnowburn is free and the car park is open from dawn to dusk. Buses 13D and 513 from Belfast's Europa Buscentre stop on the Malone Road near Shaw's Bridge, and a path leads under the bridge to the Trust's land.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.