- Glenelly Valley
The Glenelly Valley is often regarded as one of the most idyllic in Northern Ireland. It is the longest valley in the
Sperrins The Glenelly River flows westwards along a long linear glen to the south of Sawel Mountain, following one of the principal fault-lines in the Sperrins. The verdant valley landscape contrasts with the expansive, windswept moorland above and has a hidden, secretive character. The valley itself is relatively narrow and enclosed by steep ridges. The slopes are gently undulating and divided into pastures and oak woodlands by stone walls and hedgerows. Tree cover increases towards the valley floor, where the Glenelly River meanders across a complex, undulating floodplain of alluvium, glacial moraine and glaciofluvial sands and gravels that record ice margin retreat generally west and south towards the Foyle/Strule valleys and the Omagh basin. The channel has often carved deep ridges within these deposits, creating steep, irregular mounds and pockets of peaty marsh on the valley floor. Deeply incised meltwater channels cut in rock and drift are also numerous, for example at Barnes gap. The wide, alluvial bottomlands form strong visual contrasts with the steep, erosional scars forming the margins of the present river channels and the peat covered surrounding highlands. The landscape is highly valued for its heritage and scenic beauty and is designated as part of the Sperrins AONB. It is an extremely sensitive landscape with significant archaeological sites and a historic field pattern. In this narrow valley, the detailed composition of the landscape pattern is visually important and very sensitive to change, as views are contained and relatively short from one side of the valley to the other. [http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/landscape/country_landscape/28/28-geo.htm]
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