Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex

Helen's Tower

Conlig · 2.5 miles

Perched on the highest point of the Clandeboye Estate, a wooded hill between Bangor and Newtownards, the 130-metre-high rise offers panoramic views over the surrounding countryside and Belfast Lough. The monument, known locally as Helen’s Tower, lies near the village of Conlig in County Down and forms the most prominent feature of the estate’s English-style landscape garden created in the mid-19th century. The tower was erected by the 5th Lord Dufferin and Claneboye after he inherited the estate in 1841. Designed by the architect William Burn in the Scottish Baronial Revival style, construction was completed by November 1850 and the interior finished on 23 October 1861. Standing 60 feet tall, the square-plan building incorporates a round stair tower, a flat turreted roof and four corbelled corner turrets, the largest of which houses a cap-house that leads to the viewing platform. Inside, a metal plate displays a poem written by Lord Dufferin’s mother, Helen, after whom the tower is named; the shrine later accumulated verses from other poets, including the well-known “Helen’s Tower” by Tennyson. The design later inspired the Ulster Tower war memorial at Thiepval, France. Designated a Grade A historic building in 1975, the structure fell into neglect before being restored in the 1980s. It is now managed by the Irish Landmark Trust and can be hired as holiday accommodation. No specific visitor facilities or admission charges are recorded, but the tower remains a visible landmark within the Clandeboye Estate, accessible via the surrounding parkland.

Movilla Abbey

Newtownards · 3.7 miles

The remains of Movilla Abbey lie close to Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland, and are recorded on maps as a historic ruin. The site marks the location of a monastic settlement that began in the early sixth century and later developed into one of the most prominent early Christian foundations in Ulster. Founded in 540 by St Finnian under the patronage of the Dál Fiatach king, the monastery grew into a centre of worship, study and craft. By the seventh century it held a complete Latin Vulgate Bible, attracting scholars such as St Columba, who trained there and is linked to an early dispute over copying the manuscript. The community also produced notable bronze and glasswork, evidence of which emerged from excavations in the early 1980s. After a Viking raid in 823 the abbey entered a period of decline, was briefly revitalised by Augustinian monks in the twelfth century, and finally fell under dissolution in 1542 before being burnt in the Elizabethan era. Today the visible fabric consists of the 15th-century Augustinian church, reduced to two gables set roughly 150 feet apart, with interior dimensions of about 107 feet by 21 feet. The ruin can be approached from Newtownards and is open to the public; no admission charge or visitor facilities are recorded. The site offers a tangible glimpse of the long-standing religious and craft traditions once associated with Movilla.

Alexandra Park

Dunmore · 11 miles

A Victorian-era green space in north Belfast provides a formal landscape of tree-lined avenues and designated play areas for children. Managed by Belfast City Council, the park’s opening hours are listed publicly, allowing visitors to plan a visit at their convenience. Although the nearest town identified in mapping data is Dunmore, the site lies within the city’s northern districts, offering a typical 19th-century park setting for local families and walkers. The park is notable for a three-metre high wall that bisects the grounds, a feature described as unique within western Europe. Erected in 1994 as part of the city’s “peace walls,” the barrier was intended to reduce sectarian violence between Nationalist/Republican and Unionist/Loyalist communities. Its foundations were laid on 1 September 1994, coinciding with the first IRA ceasefire. Access to the northern section was originally limited to Antrim Road, while the southern part could only be reached from Shore Road. In September 2011 a gate was installed in the wall; during a three-month trial it operated on weekdays from 09:00 to 15:00. By 2026 the gate has remained open continuously, linking the two halves of the park at all times. The presence of the wall and the open gate together illustrate the park’s evolving role in the city’s social landscape while retaining its historic recreational facilities.

Belvedere Dog Park (Grass Area)

Donaghadee · 3.7 miles

Spring and Summer only

Ards Arts Centre

Newtownards · 4.3 miles

The Arts Service of Ards and North Down Borough Council provides an extensive programme of arts events, creative classes and workshops, exhibitions and performances of live music and theatre across the borough.

Scrabo Railway Bridge

Ballycullen · 5 miles

The public path ends at the western face of the bridge, beyond that is privaete property ( incuding the bridge itself ).