A temporary stairway is to be built allowing visitors to climb into the famous caves beneath Cave Hill.

For one day only a temporary structure will be built beside the lower of the caves, allowing people access to a cave that commands stunning views across Belfast.

The event comes as Cave Hill Country Park scooped a major green award, becoming one of only four parks in Northern Ireland to achieve a Green Flag.

The free event on Saturday, marking the launch of Friends of the Belfast Hills, harks back to Victorian days when the caves were an irresistible attraction to adventurous youngsters in Belfast.

Visitors will be able to climb up to the first cave near the Devil’s Punchbowl from 10.30am to 4pm. They can then step up to the temporary stairway to enter the cave. Staff from the Belfast Hills Partnership will don Victorian costumes and the event will feature traditional music.

Projects officer Lizzy Pinkerton said: “This exciting event will provide an opportunity to take part in a unique experience by going inside the famous Cave Hill cave.

“Come along and recreate the scene of 1854 described by J Doyle in which ‘an adventurous youth or gleesome maiden may be seen climbing to visit the caves’.”

Children must be accompanied by an adult. The terrain leading to the cave is rough so appropriate footwear and due care are required — it is unsuitable for very small children or anyone unstable on their feet.

The Friends of the Belfast Hills has been established to enable people to care for the hills and support the Belfast Hills Partnership Trust in its work and aims. This Saturday, anyone interested will be able to pick up a leaflet about the new initiative.

Meanwhile Cave Hill Country Park has become one of four parks to win Green Flag status, achieving the national standard for parks and green spaces.

Judges praised the park for being welcoming, safe and secure, clean and well-maintained. It also excelled in conservation and heritage for its rich tapestry of biodiversity across the entire site, with the history of Belfast Castle also wowing the judges.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Naomi Long said: “This award is a great achievement for Cave Hill Country Park and it will be a real boost for our staff who work extremely hard to make this spectacular city treasure a welcoming and shared space for all.

“We should all be very proud of this award as it’s a fantastic coup for Belfast and it’s another great news story for the city. We are extremely privileged to have this beautiful park on our doorstep, a few minutes drive from the city centre, and to see it recognised on a national stage is a real achievement.”

The Green Flag awards scheme began in 1996 as a way of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in England and Wales and is now being piloted in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Holland.