Milford Cutting

This small secluded nature reserve, outside of Armagh City, is an old railway cutting with a mix of flowery calcareous grasslands and scrubby woodland. The grassland occupies the steep railway banks and is dotted with a variety of orchids in early summer including - common twayblade, fragrant and common-spotted orchids and the rare marsh helleborine. Apart from wildflowers, the site boasts Northern Ireland’s largest colony of an unusual tree species, the Irish whitebeam. The nature reserve is an important wildlife corridor for mammals and birds.

Access: The nature reserve is open to the general public and there is a network of paths.

Getting There: Take the A3 out of Armagh towards Monaghan and after 2 miles Milford is signposted on the left. Continue through village on unclassified road and take farm track on left after new housing development. The nature reserve is accessed by following the right hand fork in the farm track just after the bridge over the stream.

Look out for: marsh helleborine, smooth newt, long tailed tits, Irish whitebeam.