Tourist Information
At the main intersection in West Gresford - off Durham Rd (to East Gresford), Lostock Rd (to Lostock Dam), Singleton Rd (to Singleton) and Church St (down to St Anne's) - is the Gresford Post Office Store which can provide tourist information. The main information centre in the shire is at the corner of Dowling and Brown Sts, Dungog, tel: (02) 4992 2212.
St Anne's Anglican Church and Suspension Bridge
Just down Church St is St Anne's Anglican Church. William Broughton, the first bishop of Australia and one of the most prominent ecclesiasts in the early colonial history of Australia, is said to have held the first local Anglican service in a barn across the river.
The current brick building was completed in 1898-99. It is an Early English design with a fine wrought-iron gate. The churchyard is full of trees, roses and trimmed hedges with a seat nicely placed within a shady arbour. Some of the stained-glass windows were furnished by the Lindeman family. The land was donated by the Townshends, one of the first families in the district.
The church is adjacent a suspension bridge over the Paterson River. This was the site of the original ford across the river and was part of the road to Singleton. A pedestrian bridge was built in 1911. This, the third span and the first vehicular bridge, was built within the last 20 years.
Cawarra Estate
Head out of Gresford along Lostock Rd. 2.6 km from the main Gresford intersection is the driveway of Henry Lindeman's Cawarra Estate, one of Australia's most famous vineyards. There were three cellars to the winery which operated between 1843 and 1918. One remains. The two-storey homestead was built of local sandstone around 1880 with later additions. The best perspective is gained by continuing just past the driveway.
Lostock Dam
Continue northwards along Lostock Rd and 18.2 km from Gresford to the turnoff to Lostock Dam and Caravan Park. A side road to the left leads down to a boat ramp, barbecue and picnic area with chopped wood while the main road continues on to the caravan park. The land here was granted to John Phillip Weber in the 1830s. The dam, built in 1969, covers 220 ha, has a storage capacity of 20 000 megalitres, a maximum water depth of 30 m and draws on a catchment area of 280 square kilometres. The dam wall is 701 m long and 38 m high. Fishing and boating are permitted.
Return south along Lostock Rd for a little over 8 km then take the left into Cross Keys Rd. It is a 4.6-km dirt track. At the T-intersection a left will take you on towards Barrington Tops while a right will bring you, after 2.5 km, to Allynbrook.
The Northern Drive (Allynbrook)
This is a loop drive which heads north along the Allyn River to Chichester State Forest and Mt Allyn then veers south through a section of Barrington Tops National Park, along the Williams Valley and on to Dungog. It is 125 km to Dungog and 150 km back to East Gresford. This can be done in a day with an early morning start if you restrict yourself to two or three of the shorter walks. If you intend taking time out to do a lot of bushwalking then you may wish to camp in Chichester State Forest or stay in accommodation en route. Before starting ensure you have plenty of petrol as the NRMA depot in Durham Rd, East Gresford is the last petrol source.
Allynbrook is nothing more than a locality 7.5 km north of the Camyr Allyn Bridge, which spans the Allyn River at the northern end of East Gresford. Adjacent to the main road, you will find, to the right, the homestead 'Caegwrle' (c.1844 and pronounced 'Ca-girl-ee') and St Mary-on-Allyn Church, built in 1840. In the graveyard are the tombs of William and Mary Boydell. The two met aboard the ship which brought them to Australia in 1836. Mary was the daughter of Bishop Broughton who made it a condition of their marriage that Boydell build the home and church which he did on his land grant, one of the early ones in the district .
St Mary's is a handsome church with a fine graveyard but what makes it very special is the well-kept churchyard and idyllic pastoral setting. A nice touch is the iron gateway with an old gas lamp dangling overhead. There are lancet-arched leadlight windows with timber tracery and a lancet-arched doorway topped by a gable with carved timber bargeboards. Caegwrle next door also has lancet arched windows and door. The public school adjacent dates back to 1881.
The Northern Drive (Eccleston)
The drive north from Allynbrook follows the course of the Allyn River. There are mountains all around. 23 km from East Gresford are Eccleston Public School and a Congregational Church opposite, both established in 1867. Just past them is a driveway on the left to another small timber church (St Paul's).
34.5 km from Gresford is Tristania Tops Farm Horse Riding, tel: (02) 4931 5212. There is a general store that is open (10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.) for weekend and holiday trading from the October long weekend to the end of the school holidays in January.
The Northern Drive (Chichester State Forest - Mt Allyn Lookout and Burraga Swamp Walk)
If you're in trouble a telephone box is on the roadside a further 3 km along the road near the entrance to the Chichester State Forest where there are numerous camping areas and scenic spots. A few hundred metres brings you to a fork in the road. Turn left for the superb Mt Allyn Lookout (26 km return). Measuring distances from the fork, Paddymelon Forest Park is to the left after 700 m and The Gunyah (one of two huts for rent - tel: 02-4933 2537) after 2 km. Quite rapidly the temperature drops and the vegetation changes from dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest to temperate Antarctic beech forest.
After 11.4 km there are two choices. Either take the sharp left to Mt Allyn Lookout (1.6 km) or continue along the main road to Burraga Swamp Walk. The commencement of the easy 2-km walk is not signposted but it is pretty clear where it starts - from the roadside to the right where there is a fireplace a few hundred metres past the lookout turnoff. The virtually 360-degree view from atop the lookout (1143 m above sea-level) is stunning. A walking track heads off from this pinnacle and joins up with the Burraga Swamp Walk.
The Northern Drive (Chichester State Forest - Forest Parks, Walking Trails and Lookouts)
Return to Mt Allyn River Road. There are numerous signposted camping areas on both sides of the road. Again measuring distances from the fork The Ladies Well swimming hole is signposted at 700 m; an access point to the Double Bridges Walking Trail (4 km long, it loops back to the roadway) on the left at 1.8 km and Allyn River Forest Park (3.6 km). At 3.9 km you can continue along Mt Allyn River Rd to more camping areas or turn right along Lagoon Pinch Rd. 250 m along this road is the Peach Tree Picnic Area where you can go on the excellent and short Allyn River Rainforest Trail (1 km). A series of arrows lead to numbered sites which are explained in an accompanying brochure. It can be obtained, along with pamphlets on other walking trails in the area, from the Information Centre at Dungog, contact (02) 4992 2212 or ring (02) 4927 0977.
The walk takes in the largest small-leaved fig in NSW (no.2) with a diameter of 3.3 m, a height of 50 m and a crown spread of 40 m. Perhaps even more remarkable than its giant roots extending above-ground. No. 12 is the largest river oak in NSW with a diameter of 1.88 m and a height of 53 m. There are masses of thick vines, ferns and epiphytes.
Continue along Lagoon Pinch Rd through wet sclerophyll forest of tall blue gums. 2 km brings you to a T-intersection. The road to the right is Williams Top Rd. Turn left. After 800 m you will see an old grader to the right, once used for logging in the area. Barely visible on the grader is some writing and an arrow indicating the direction of Rocky Crossing Trail, a 1-km walk down to the Williams River. This track continues along the river for a further 7 km to Barrington Tops Guest House.
Continue driving north along the road and 500 m from the grader is Lagoon Pinch Forest Park where you can go on a 12-km, one-way walk to Careys Peak Lookout. It is a long, steep climb involving almost vertical sections and it links up with the Barrington Tops Walking Trails and Gloucester Tops for 2-3 day treks. Also there is a walk from here to Hawks Nest Surf Club along the 220-km Myall's Heritage Trail (there is a map and signposts).
Return to the point where Lagoon Pinch Rd and Williams Top Rd meet. It is 1.4 km south to the Headwaters Lookout (a very sharp left). If the trees have been cut back there are fine views of the start of the Williams River and the crags of Barrington Tops National Park. If they haven't been cut back there's nothing to see.
Another 2.4 km will bring you to the turnoff on the right to Williams Top Lookout (6 km return). There is a picnic-barbecue area and fine views of the Williams Valley.
The Northern Drive (The Williams River Day Use Area)
3.5 km south of the lookout turnoff there is a T-intersection at the end of Williams Top Rd. Salisbury Rd, to the right, heads off to Dungog while two roads head left: the first to the award-winning, first-class Barrington Guest House (02-4995 3212) where there is horse riding, bushwalking, tennis, Devonshire teas etc. The far left leads to the Williams River Day Use Area of Barrington Tops National Park. This represents only a small section of the park. It contains 26 endangered animal and 9 endangered plant species.
The Day Use Area has picnic and barbecue facilities, toilets, an information board (which is not very clear) and the pleasant, easy-going 3.5-km Twin Bridges Loop Track, named after the two suspension bridges over the Williams River. This is also the southern end of the Rocky Crossing Trail (16 km return). Cyclists can ride from here to Burraga Swamp or along the Allyn River (for more information on cycling in the area contact 02-6558 1005).
Natural Furniture Works
Next door to the Caltex Service Station in Durham Rd, East Gresford, is the Natural Furniture Works, with some unusual furniture.
St Helen's Catholic Church, East Gresford
St Helen's Catholic Church and Cemetery (1867) is a Gothic Revival brick building on a stone foundation designed by Edmund Blacket. It has lancet-arched windows. The stained-glass was added in 1982. An apocryphal story suggests that, during the consecration ceremony, the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt fired a gun.
Clevedon
A little further south along Gresford Rd, to the left, Clevedon can plainly be seen. It is a gracious and impressive building on land originally belonging to the pioneering Townshend family. Built in 1900 it is a late Victorian family home with original oak ceilings, verandah posts and cedar joinery. It is open from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. as Clevedon Cottage Craft and offers a bed-and-breakfast service, tel: (02) 4938 9488.
Barrington Outdoor Adventure Centre
There is a commercial organisation which organises adventure holidays in the Barrington Tops including kayaking and canoeing. Check them out on http://www.midcoast.com.au/~boac/.
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