Description of Walk - Knocknacloghoge, Fancy Carrigvore and Gravale to and from Loughdan House
This walk starts and finishes at Loughdan House
We head west from the House along the old farm track heading towards the ancient ruins of Inchavore; we pass the ruined village and through a number of fields heading towards the top end of the valley where we come to an oasis of oak trees a most unusual setting beside a fast running mountain stream where trout may be seem jumping for the elusive flies.

The Inchavore valley contains the ruins of several houses, the last one was vacated as recently as 1964, on the slopes above the valley is the remains of some old copper mines, which closed in the 1850s. as you enter the Valley, on your left is the ruins of a house which was occupied by a family named “Smiths”, in 1867 the family perished in an avalanche which destroyed most houses in the settlement. They were the last people to die in an avalanche in Ireland.

We cross the stream here and follow the forest fence in an north east direction making our way to the summit of Knocknacloghoge (543m) it has a neat cairn set on a jagged rocky summit, despite being somewhat overshadowed by its larger neighbours, the views of Loughdan and scar are magnificent
Heading north and slightly east we drop down to the Cloghoge valley and up towards Fancy (595m) here we rest and admire the beauty of Luggala and Lough tay with its white sandy beaches and further north the perfectly restored fine Gothic mansion, home to Gareth De Brun, champion for the preservation of national music and cultures in many adopted countries and member of the famous Irish brewing family “Guinness”. Add to this the sylvan valley of Cloghoge River and the result is one of the most delightful walking areas in the Wicklow Mountains
Making our way north, northwest we arrive at the “Military road”, and from here we head west, northwest to reach the rounded summit of Gravale (716m). An immense feeling of achievement and isolation, you could be, one thousand miles from another human being, such is the feeling.,

The, “Military Road” history and topography, by Michael Fewer, is well worth a read in the evenings by the fireside at Loughdan House, also available to purchase.

When we are well rested, head south to a forest fence and follow the fence line back to the “Military road” and turn right, follow the road for 2 kilometres until we reach a forest entrance on the left, follow the forest road through some quite open woodland with a delightful mountain stream to your left until we rejoin the oak copse from we set out earlier. From here we retrace our steps back to Loughdan House to the finish of our walk.