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.
Public notice of Lagan Towpath closure for essential maintenance works
Please see table below advising of dates for the ongoing works on the Lagan Towpath.
The Department advises that new public safety signage has been installed along the Lagan Navigation. All members of the public are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the signage to ensure safe use of the path.
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 Lagan Towpath Code of Conduct
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.
Organising Events
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: