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The Dark Hedges

Traffic banned from iconic 'Game of Thrones' road in Antrim

The road was featured at the close of an episode where young heroine Arya escapes King’s Landing.

TRAFFIC IS SET to close on an Antrim road, made famous by hit TV show Game of Thrones.

The tunnel of beech trees – known as the Dark Hedges – is located on the Bregagh Road, near Armoy.

It was featured in the opening episode of the second series, when young heroine Arya Stark escapes the city of King’s Landing disguised as a boy.

The site is one of the areas in Northern Ireland attracting major international tourist attention due to the filming of the show there.

An order from Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure, however, will see a ban on cars to protect the trees from damage due to the high volume of traffic that has passed through it in recent years.

Buses and coaches will also not be able to use the road. There are a few exceptions for emergency vehicles and agricultural ones in “certain circumstances”.

Anyone who flouts the law will face a £1,000 fine.

Conservations have bemoaned the heavy use of the road. The group NI Greenways said that it was a “national disgrace slowly killing a national treasure”.

In January 2016, Storm Gertrude ripped up two trees with high winds, causing them to collapse, BBC reported. Later that year, a large rotten branch fell from one of the trees onto the road.

The Department of Infrastructure said that the ban was being implemented after appropriate consultation with all relevant parties and the general public.

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    Mute Alan O'Rourke
    Favourite Alan O'Rourke
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    Oct 10th 2017, 10:49 AM

    Excellent! Place is awash with selfie wänkers and the verges of the road are in bits!

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    Mute Gillian Weir Scully
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    Oct 10th 2017, 10:54 AM

    @Alan O’Rourke: Yep that was me.

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Oct 10th 2017, 11:10 AM

    @Alan O’Rourke: Selfie sticks are an embarrassment.

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    Mute Alan O'Rourke
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    Oct 10th 2017, 12:44 PM

    @Gillian Weird Scully: make sure to watch out for motorcycles up that way Gillian. I know they give you awful frights ye poor craythur!

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    Mute Gillian Weir Scully
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    Oct 10th 2017, 2:49 PM

    @Alan O’Rourke: Laughing.

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Oct 10th 2017, 10:54 AM

    Not long ago, you could freely walk around Stonehenge – but, when visitor numbers increase – an infrastrucre (to protect the places of interest) is required, everywhere.

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    Mute Gillian Weir Scully
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    Oct 10th 2017, 2:51 PM

    @Fank Pulman: Not long ago? Years ago more like but I think they open for Druid type festivals.

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    Mute Daithí Uí Ciarmhaic
    Favourite Daithí Uí Ciarmhaic
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    Oct 10th 2017, 10:58 AM

    Well done, protect a lucrative tourism trap. if it was down here the council would be out strimming then

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    Mute Gareth Miskelly
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    Oct 10th 2017, 12:19 PM

    There is a free car park right beside it makes perfect sense. I was there a few weeks ago and massive CIE coach drove up it hitting branches as it went! (despite sign clearly saying no coaches allowed)

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    Mute cortisola
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    Oct 10th 2017, 1:54 PM

    @Gareth Miskelly: Build second road along this one, with car parks, bars, pubs, hotels, duty-free shops and casinos. Sheep already there, we just need shearers !!

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    Mute Gillian Weir Scully
    Favourite Gillian Weir Scully
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    Oct 10th 2017, 10:53 AM

    Glad I have been there this year and it was fantastic. There is car park close by.

    However I feel guilty for being responsible for harm to the trees.

    I climbed Nelson’s column a few days before it was blown up by the IRA I still feel guilty that I was being punished for having fun. Laughing.

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    Mute Louis O'Dwyer
    Favourite Louis O'Dwyer
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    Oct 11th 2017, 5:20 AM

    A bunch of trees?

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