- Water quality Excellent sampled 14 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 13.2 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.5 m period 3 s · N
- Wind 8 mph from NE · gust 17
- Next tide High 04:31 today · 3.0 m
Sheltered crescent bay on the County Down side of Belfast Lough.
Conditions now
Air
10°C
Clear
Swell
0.3m
period 3 s · N
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
Water quality
A designated bathing water: DAERA samples it weekly through the bathing season (1 June–15 September).
Latest sample 14 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 10 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2026 | 32 | 14 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 170 | 27 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Sep 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 500 | 300 | Satisfactory | — |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2026 | 400 | 700 | Satisfactory | — |
| 12 Aug 2026 | 130 | 35 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2026 | 37 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 52 | 56 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 44 | 18 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2026 | 52 | 46 | Excellent | — |
| 7 Jul 2026 | 18 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 42 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2026 | 42 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 10 | 16 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2026 | 12 | 20 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Sep 2025 | 20 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2025 | 57 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Aug 2025 | 14 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2025 | 70 | 40 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2025 | 10 | 90 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Aug 2025 | 56 | 50 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2025 | 25 | 11 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jul 2025 | 60 | 25 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 10 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 74 | 36 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Jun 2025 | 12 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2025 | 24 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
10 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi.
Measured in 2025143 spills704 h · 32 in the bathing season · 8 of 10 monitored
Nearest 10 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhurst WwPS → Ballyholme River |
500 yd | To be Determined | — | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Seacliff Road Playground CSO → Belfast Lough Outer |
570 yd | To be Determined | — | 7 spills 0 in season · 3 h |
| Fruithill Park CSO → Ballyholme River |
650 yd | To be Determined | — | — |
| Ashley Park 2 WwPS → Ballyholme River |
830 yd | To be Determined | — | 11 spills 3 in season · 12 h |
| Lukes Point WwPS → Belfast Lough Outer |
840 yd | To be Determined | — | 46 spills 5 in season · 465 h |
| Riverside Road Bangor CSO → Ballyholme River |
0.6 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
| Bangor Marina WwPS → Belfast Lough Outer |
0.8 mi | To be Determined | — | 9 spills 2 in season · 22 h |
| Cherrymount Bangor WwPS → Ballyholme River |
0.9 mi | To be Determined | — | 13 spills 3 in season · 17 h |
| Gransha Bangor WwPS → Belfast Lough |
1.1 mi | To be Determined | — | 3 spills 0 in season · 2 h |
| Castle Park Bangor 2 WwPS → Belfast Lough |
1.2 mi | To be Determined | — | 54 spills 19 in season · 183 h |
How these are counted
“Modelled” is NI Water's hydraulic-model prediction of spills per year. “Measured” is from NI Water's event duration monitors, counted with the industry 12/24 method (discharges within the same 12- or 24-hour block count as one spill); the bathing-season figure (1 Jun–15 Sep) is our count from NI Water's published discharge log. An overflow with no monitor isn't known to be dry. Classification is NI Water's own.
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Ballycrochan Road ST (2.0 mi → Ballyholme River) · North Down WwTW (2.3 mi → Belfast Lough Outer).
Amenities & features
Parking
21
Toilets
3
Drinking water
1
Cafes & food
e.g. Esplanade Bar and Restaurant
7
Pubs & bars
e.g. The Jamaica Inn
1
Shops
1
Picnic tables
6
Benches
29
Information
3
Bins
13
Dogs, access & rules
Seasonal dog restrictions
- Dogs: Ards & North Down Dog Control Orders exclude dogs from Ballyholme bathing beach 1 May–30 September; on a lead on the promenade. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Bangor 1.0 mi
- Bangor 1.0 mi
- Groomsport 1.5 mi
2 more further away
- Donaghadee 4.9 mi
- Unknown 6.0 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Outer Ards
2 protected features
- Intertidal rock Favourable, 2020
- Intertidal mudflats and sandflats Favourable, 2021
- SPA Outer Ards
5 protected features · 3 Unfavourable
- Arctic tern Favourable, 2017
- Golden plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Light-bellied Brent goose Favourable, 2018
- Turnstone Unfavourable, 2018
- Ringed plover Unfavourable, 2018
- pSPA East Coast Marine proposed Special Protection Area, not yet classified
7 proposed features
- Great crested grebe
- Red throated diver
- Sandwich tern
- Common tern
- Arctic tern
- Manx shearwater
- Eider duck
- Ramsar Outer Ards
6 protected features · 2 Unfavourable
- Arctic tern Favourable, 2017
- Golden plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Light-bellied Brent goose Favourable, 2018
- Turnstone not yet assessed
- Ringed plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Manx Shearwater not yet assessed
Protected features and their latest condition assessment, from DAERA's 2023 marine protected area review. Only sites with a marine part are assessed there.
Alerts & advisories
No advisories active for this beach today.