Helen's Bay

Helen's Bay
Irish: Cuan Héilin
Helen's Bay railway station
Helen's Bay Helen's Bay shown within Northern Ireland
Population	1,362 (2001 Census)
District	North Down
County	County Down
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BANGOR
Postcode district	BT19
Dialling code	028
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	North Down
List of places UK Northern Ireland Down

Coordinates: 54°40′12″N 5°44′06″W / 54.670°N 5.735°W / 54.670; -5.735

Helen's Bay is on the northern coast of County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballygrot (from Irish Baile gCrot, meaning "settlement of hillocks"),^[1] between Holywood, Crawfordsburn and Bangor. It is served by a railway station and had a population of 1,362 in the 2001 Census. It is part of the North Down Borough Council area.

History

The village is named after Helen, Lady Dufferin (née Sheridan), mother of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, and owners of the Clandeboye Estate. Helen’s Bay is a planned village which derived from the building of the Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) in the mid 19th century, and the aspirations of the local landlord, the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava who wanted to develop the area as a luxury holiday resort to rival Portstewart and Portrush. The granting of ‘villa’ or ‘house-free’ tickets by the BCDR Company, which entitled the holders to free travel for a period of time if they constructed houses within one mile of the station, encouraged further development of the settlement.

Places of interest

Crawfordsburn Country Park, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough, features 3.5 km (2 mi) of coastline and a small beach. The Park also includes Grey Point Fort, a coastal battery and gun emplacement dating from 1904 and updated during World War II. It now houses a military museum. Helen's Bay Golf Club is located within the village and has a 9-hole course. Chef Michael Deane previously owned a restaurant in the village.^[2]^[3]

2001 Census

Grey Point Fort.

Helen's Bay is classified by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as being within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,362 people living in Helen's Bay. Of these:

17.9% were aged under 16 years and 28.3% were aged 60 and over
48.6% of the population were male and 51.4% were female
10.7% were from a Catholic background and 84.3% were from a Protestant background
1.0% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

People

Swimmer Andrew Bree is from Helen's Bay. Local celebrity chef Michael Deane won his 1st Michelin star at Deane's on the Square restaurant. This was only the second Michelin star to be awarded in Northern Ireland.

Transport

Helen's Bay railway station opened on 1 May 1865 and was closed for goods traffic on 24 April 1950.^[4] Helen's Bay is on the Belfast-Bangor railway line with train services provided by Northern Ireland Railways.

Telephone Exchange

Although small, Helen's Bay still has its own BT Telephone exchange. Local numbers exist in the following formats:

(028) 9185 2XXX
(028) 9185 3XXX
(028) 9185 4XXX

References

↑ Placenames NI
↑ North Down Borough Council
↑ Culture Northern Ireland
↑ "Helen's Bay" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-08-28.

Places in County Down

List of places in County Down

Cities	Belfast (part) Lisburn (part) Newry (part)

Towns	Ballynahinch Banbridge Bangor Carryduff Comber Donaghadee Downpatrick Dromore Dundonald Holywood Kilkeel Newcastle Newtownards Warrenpoint

Villages and townlands	Annahilt Annalong Annsborough Ardglass Attical Aughnacloy Ballela Balloo Ballybannan Ballybeen Ballydargan Ballygowan Ballyhalbert Ballyhay Ballyholme Ballyhornan Ballykinler Ballylesson Ballylough Ballymacmaine Ballymartin Ballynagarrick Ballynahatty Ballynoe Ballyskeagh Ballywalter Benraw Blackskull Bleary Braniel Bryansford Burren Cabra Carnalea Carrowdore Castlewellan Clandeboye Cloghy Clough Conlig Corbet Corcreeny/Gibson's Hill Crawfordsburn Cregagh Crossgar Cultra Derryneill Dollingstown Donaghcloney Dromara Drumaness Drumbeg Drumbo Drumlough, Hillsborough Drumlough, Rathfriland Dundrum Dunnaval Edenderry Gamblestown Gilford Gilnahirk Gransha Greencastle Greyabbey Groomsport Helen's Bay Hillhall Hillsborough Hilltown Katesbridge Kilcoo Kilcooley Killinchy Killinure Killough Killowen Killyleagh Kinallen Kircubbin Lawrencetown Legacurry Legananny Leitrim Lenaderg Loughbrickland Loughinisland Lurganare Lurganville Magheraconluce Magheralin Mayobridge Maze Millisle Moira Moneyreagh Moneyslane Monteith Portaferry Portavogie Poyntzpass Rathfriland Ravernet Ringhaddy Rostrevor Saintfield Saul Scarva Seaforde Seahill Sheeptown Shrigley Spa Strangford Struell Tievenadarragh Tullylish Tullynakill Waringsford Waringstown Whiterock

Landforms	Ards Peninsula Burr Point Carlingford Lough Cloughmore Copeland Islands Cranfield Point Lecale peninsula Lough Island Reavy Mournes Slieve Croob Strangford Lough

Baronies	Ards Lower Ards Upper Castlereagh Lower Castlereagh Upper Dufferin Iveagh Lower Iveagh Upper Kinelarty Lecale Lower Lecale Upper Lordship of Newry Mourne

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