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. Helen's Bay had a population of 1,890 in 2020

History

The village is named after Helen Blackwood, Baroness Dufferin and Claneboye (Sheridan), who owned Clandeboye Estate and was the mother of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.

Places of interest

Crawfordsburn Country Park, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough, features 3.5 km 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. Helen's Bay Beach is popular for bathing during the Summer months. It has also been awarded the Green Coast Award. Gray Point Fort, constructed in 1907, was the headquarters for the coastal defence of Northern Ireland during the Second World War. The fort was designed to protect Belfast from naval attacks but was not that effective during the Belfast Blitz. The fort was decommissioned in 1956.

2011 Census

Helen's Bay is classified by the Northern Ireland 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:

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.

Climate

Transport

Telephone Exchange

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