Helen's Bay
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  Helen's Bay Location withinCounty Down | |
| Population | 1,390 (2011 Census) |
| • Belfast | 9 mi (14.5 km) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BANGOR |
| Postcode district | BT19 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
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Helen's Bay is a village on the northern coast ofCounty Down, Northern Ireland. It is within thetownland of Ballygrot (from Irish Baile gCrot 'settlement of hillocks'),[1] betweenHolywood,Crawfordsburn andBangor. It is served by arailway station and had a population of 1,390 in the2011 Census. It is part of theArds and North Down Borough Council area.Helen's Bay had a population of 1,890 in 2020[2]
The village is named afterHelen Blackwood, Baroness Dufferin and Claneboye (née Sheridan), who ownedClandeboye Estate and was the mother ofFrederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.[3]
Crawfordsburn Country Park, on the southern shores ofBelfast Lough, features 3.5 km (2 mi) of coastline and a small beach. The Park also includesGrey Point Fort, a coastal battery and gun emplacement dating from 1904 and updated duringWorld War II. It now houses a military museum. Helen's Bay Golf Club is located within the village and has a 9-hole course. ChefMichael Deane previously owned a restaurant in the village.[4][5]
Helen's Bay Beach is popular for bathing during the Summer months. It has also been awarded the Green Coast Award.[6]
Gray Point Fort, constructed in 1907, was the headquarters for the coastal defence ofNorthern Ireland during theSecond World War. The fort was designed to protectBelfast from naval attacks but was not that effective during theBelfast Blitz. The fort was decommissioned in 1956.[7][8]
Helen's Bay is classified by theNorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as being withinBelfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,362 people living in Helen's Bay. Of these:
| Climate data for Helens Bay, elevation: 43 m (141 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.0 (62.6) | 20.0 (68.0) | 21.2 (70.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 27.6 (81.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 17.3 (63.1) | 14.9 (58.8) | 28.8 (83.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 18.0 (64.4) | 19.6 (67.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 13.8 (56.8) | 10.2 (50.4) | 8.1 (46.6) | 13.5 (56.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.4 (41.7) | 5.7 (42.3) | 7.0 (44.6) | 8.9 (48.0) | 11.4 (52.5) | 13.9 (57.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 10.8 (51.4) | 7.7 (45.9) | 5.8 (42.4) | 10.1 (50.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.0 (37.4) | 2.9 (37.2) | 3.7 (38.7) | 5.2 (41.4) | 7.2 (45.0) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.9 (46.2) | 5.3 (41.5) | 3.5 (38.3) | 6.8 (44.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −4.9 (23.2) | −5.0 (23.0) | −5.0 (23.0) | −2.3 (27.9) | −1.1 (30.0) | 2.1 (35.8) | 5.0 (41.0) | 4.8 (40.6) | 1.6 (34.9) | 0.0 (32.0) | −2.4 (27.7) | −6.2 (20.8) | −6.2 (20.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 92.5 (3.64) | 74.7 (2.94) | 72.0 (2.83) | 61.6 (2.43) | 63.4 (2.50) | 71.5 (2.81) | 76.7 (3.02) | 82.8 (3.26) | 72.1 (2.84) | 97.8 (3.85) | 103.4 (4.07) | 99.1 (3.90) | 967.7 (38.10) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.7 | 12.5 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 11.9 | 11.3 | 12.9 | 13.2 | 11.4 | 13.3 | 15.4 | 14.8 | 155.1 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 49.1 | 76.8 | 112.4 | 162.4 | 201.7 | 171.3 | 157.5 | 157.2 | 124.9 | 95.9 | 62.6 | 42.7 | 1,414.4 |
| Source 1:Met Office[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[10][11] | |||||||||||||
Although small, Helen's Bay still has its ownBT Telephone exchange. Local numbers exist in the following formats:
