Helen's Bay


Helen's Bay is a village on the northern coast of County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballygrot, between Holywood, Crawfordsburn and Bangor. It is served by a railway station and had a population of 1,390 in the 2011 Census. It is part of the Ards and North Down Borough Council area.

History

The village is named after Helen, Lady Dufferin, 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 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 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.

2011 Census

Helen's Bay is classified by the as being within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area. On Census day there were 1,362 people living in Helen's Bay. Of these:
For more details see:

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

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