North Down Coastal Path
The North Down Coastal Path takes the walker along the south shore of Belfast Lough, past many of the scenic, historical and ecological attractions of North Down. For the most part the path follows the grassy flats just above the shoreline and is well surfaced for almost all of its 12 mile length. Good public transport links mean this walk is extremely accessible and can either be completed in a single day, or broken into shorter sections to suit families and casual walkers.
| County | Distance | OS Map | Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down | 12 miles (19.2 km) | Sheet 15 | The route crosses a variety of surfaces including smooth concrete path to beach and a narrow rocky shoreline section. |
| Start Town / Village | Finish Town / Village | Grid References | Points of Interest |
| Holywood | Groomsport | Starts at J397793 Ends at J539833 | Holywood, Cultra, Helen’s Bay, Crawfordsburn Country Park, Bangor, Ballyholme, Groomsport |
Getting to The Start
By Car
Holywood in Co Down can be accessed along A2 Belfast to Bangor. There are numerous car parks in Holywood near to the start of the walk.
By Public Transport
There are regular bus and train services to Holywood.
Ulsterbus Service 1, 2 and 502 operate between Belfast and Bangor stopping in Holywood.
Northern Ireland Railway Service 1 operates between Nerwy and Bangor stopping in Holywood.
For timetable information please consult Translink website http://www.translink.co.uk/present/IndexOpSvc.asp#ULB
How to Walk the Route (Following a Clockwise Direction)
The walk begins at the Esplanade in Holywood. From here the path is signposted in a north easterly direction along the shore. Forty-five minutes of walking brings you to Cultra and the boatyard of the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club. By turning inland here towards Cultra station you can reach the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and its many award-wining exhibits, a detour of approximately thirty minutes.
Meanwhile, a little further along the coast path you’ll pass the Royal Belfast Golf Club at Craigavad. Another forty-five minutes' walking brings you to a flight of steep steps. The path soon rejoins the coast as you descend at the far end.
Rounding Grey Point and its historic Fort (two hours from Holywood) marks a change to a more easterly direction and brings the walker through broad-leafed woodland into Helen’s Bay and Crawfordsburn Country Park. A small headland separates Helen’s Bay beach from Crawfordsburn beach. The town of Bangor should now be visible in the distance.
Two more small bays, Swineley and Smelt Mill, are passed before you turn into Bangor Bay, just over an hour from Grey Point. Follow the seafront around the bay and past Tower House and the Tourist Information Centre onto Seacliff Road. Now walk around Luke’s Point and into Ballyholme Bay, home to the Royal Ulster Yacht Club.
Bangor ends abruptly at the eastern side of the bay but the path continues around Ballymacormick Point. This mile-long section of the path crosses National Trust property and is a surprisingly secluded stretch of the walk, naturally favoured by many species of bird. Just around the point is the finish of the walk in the beautiful little village of Groomsport, just over an hour's walk from Bangor.
Facilities Along the Route
Refreshments are available along the walk including in the villages and towns of, Helens Bay, Groomsport & onwards into Bangor. The Woodlands Café offers a wide range of lunches and snacks in Crawfordsburn Country Park.
A range of accommodation is available in Holywood at the start of the section with one B&B in Groomsport at the end.
A small amount of accommodation is available in both Helen's Bay and Crawfordsburn but by far the best range of accommodation is available in Bangor.
Linking to the Next Section
The next section is Link Section - Groomsport to Strangford which links to Quality Section - Lecale beginning in Strangford.
This is a Link section therefore walkers are actively encouraged to make use of the public transport links between Groomsport and Strangford.
This section of the route mainly follows a busy main road and is not signposted on the ground.
Check out this section for public transport information and walking directions
