Railway Wood lies a ballast-stone's throw from the Lisburn to Moira section of the main Dublin-Belfast railway, which was the second railway project to be started in the whole of Ireland. Nearby, Moira has the oldest station building on the NIR network, having opened in 1841. Another railway line, the currently moribund Lisburn - Antrim line, lies ¾ of a mile to the north-east. When approaching from the north or the south, you will pass under fine Victorian brick-arched railway bridges. By contrast, 21st century technological innovation has recently been making inroads in the area, with the construction of a number of solar farms, although none are visible from Railway Wood.

As the young trees are at an ideal age for thinning, the owners of Railway Wood, if they so wish, will have access to a lifetime's supply of high quality ash firewood. In so doing, the wood will start to take on a varied character, with diverse tree ages and light levels which will make it suited to an even greater variety of wildlife and native plant species; additionally, new tree species could be introduced.

Following the newly constructed track, you approach Railway Wood through a stand of ash trees and across a grass meadow, passing an old field gate and turning left to arrive at the ride stop to what could be your own private woodland. To your right, lies an open meadow of about ¾ of an acre, which forms part of Railway Wood; currently fallow, it could be put to a number or uses and is a great asset. As the track enters the wood, you pass a useful wood stacking area and some rowan trees, then you reach the dedicated parking area in a grove of birch trees which have been pruned to show off their attractive bark.

Railway Wood's main tree species is ash, with small groups of oak, Scots pine and birch, and the occasional rowan and hazel. The ash lends an airy, open feel to the wood. Ash is a light demanding species, so the trees naturally self prune as the lower branches die when they are shaded out by the canopy above. It would be easy to make informal paths through the area merely by removing some of these lower branches. Indeed, if this pruning were extended to the oaks and pines, in time knot-free timber suitable for milling into planks could be produced. The pruning would have the added benefit of opening up these denser areas which have a greater number of large lower branches than the ash trees.

The wood is also at a perfect stage for thinning, and a large volume of extremely useful firewood could be easily produced by removing the occasional row of trees, with the added benefit of improving access for a quad or small tractor. A more selective thinning could also be carried out, by removing some rows and then felling individual trees of poorer growth, thereby leaving more space for the better trees to develop.

Recently, ash dieback, commonly known as Chalara, has been found at Railway Wood. Grants are available from the Forest Service to mitigate against its impact through increasing the diversity within the woodland. This could be by felling small groups of ash trees and planting other more shade tolerant species, such as oak, beech or sycamore, in the gaps. By so doing, owners will be improving the species and age diversity of the wood, thereby improving its amenity value, increasing the range of wildlife habitats and making it more resilient.

There is ample scope for the kids to build dens and generally have the freedom to roam that older generations took for granted, and for the adults to build their own constructions: a tool and firewood store, or a cabin for occasional overnight stays could comply with permitted development legislation for forestry / agriculture.

Being so accessible from the M1, Railway Wood represents a real haven of tranquility for those with busy lives and a yen to go back to nature.

The purchasers of the woodland will be asked to enter into a covenant