Helen’s Bay’s two main assets are its beaches and its golf course, both of them well frequented by inhabitants of nearby Belfast. Helen’s Bay railway station is the starting
point for a walk along the Clandeboye Way to Whitespots Country Park, taking in
leadmines and the Somme Heritage Centre (see Newtownards post).
Commenters on the walk have described it as a “real delight” and a
“lovely walk with varied scenery and terrain”, although there are complaints
about a lack of waymarking. The village
itself was established as a planned village named after Helen, Lady Dufferin,
with the aim of creating a luxury holiday resort linked to the Belfast and County Down Railway.
Just outside Helen’s Bay is Crawfordsburn Country Park,
which forms a scenic backdrop to the beaches as well as views across Belfast
Lough. The park’s attractions include a
waterfall, wildlife such as rabbits, badgers, seals and herons, and Grey Point Fort, with its guns pointing out to sea and a military museum. The fort is relatively new, having been started
in 1907 to provide Belfast with a defence against naval attacks.
 | |
| Crawfordsburn Country Park. Photo by Stubacca, via Wikimedia Commons. |
No comments:
Post a Comment