Ben Crom Reservoir, body of water
Ben Crom Reservoir is a large water storage basin in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel. The concrete dam is about 213 meters wide at its top and holds roughly 1.7 billion liters of water in a basin surrounded by steep hillsides and rocky slopes.
The reservoir was built starting in 1953 to collect water from mountain streams and the Kilkeel River to supply Belfast and other towns. Work was completed in 1957 after approximately 186 workers constructed the massive concrete dam with embedded granite blocks.
The name "Ben Crom" comes from Gaelic meaning "hill of the crocus". Today the area serves as a quiet meeting place for people seeking outdoor activities and reflection, where locals and visitors alike pause to appreciate how the landscape supports daily life and community needs.
A flat, paved path winds about 3 kilometers around the reservoir and is accessible for most people, though some sections may become uneven after rain. The main car park is located on the south side, and visitors should wear comfortable walking shoes and dress in layers depending on weather conditions.
The dam construction required building a new road whose stones came from tunnels leading to neighboring valleys. Some of the embedded granite blocks weighed over 5 tons, showing the lasting engineering effort built into this mountain structure.
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