Inland Waterways
Lagan Towpath
The Department has ownership of, and custodial responsibility for, those remaining sections of the Lagan Canal that remain in Government ownership following abandonment of navigation in the 1950s, including the Lagan Towpath, carparks at Lockview Road, Stranmillis; Drumbridge and Soldierstown, and the abandoned canal.
With over 1,000,000 recorded visits a year, the 11-mile Lagan Towpath connecting Stranmillis, Belfast with Sprucefield, Lisburn as well as 3½ miles from Moira Station to Soldierstown Aghalee, qualifies as the most popular public pathway in Northern Ireland. It is also an integral part of the award-winning National Cycle Network (NCN) route between Lisburn and Jordanstown via Belfast.
A large part of the towpath runs through Lagan Valley Regional Park who have partnered with Google’s innovative Trekker Programme to map all tracks throughout the park. This information can be accessed directly through Google. However, if you wish to check specific routes along the towpath, these can be found on the Lagan Valley Regional Park website. Here you can find other useful information about the towpath and the Lagan Valley Regional Park:
The Department operates on the principle of Leave no Trace and we have a code of conduct which we ask all users of the towpath to abide by.
Anyone wishing to organise an event, such as a sponsored walk, on the towpath, should notify the Department (as owners) in advance for approval. To do this please email:
Lough Neagh & Sixmilewater River
Under Article 6(3)(ii) of the Lough Neagh and Lower Bann Drainage and Navigation Act (Northern Ireland) 1955, the Department has a statutory duty to maintain navigation at the entrance to the Sixmilewater River and to maintain two navigation posts or marks at the entrance to the Sixmilewater River.
The Department exercises discretionary powers under section 41 of The Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 to maintain a further 46 markers on Lough Neagh.