- Water quality Excellent sampled 14 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.7 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.4 m period 3 s · N
- Wind 12 mph from NE · gust 20
- Next tide High 04:47 today · 3.8 m
Quiet shingle-and-sand beach with a small harbour on the east Ards coast.
Conditions now
Air
10°C
Clear
Swell
0.4m
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 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 370 | 160 | Good | — |
| 1 Sep 2026 | 13 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 16 | 11 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2026 | 15 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jul 2026 | 10 | 29 | Excellent | — |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 7 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 290 | 160 | Good | — |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 11 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 33 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2026 | 90 | 15 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Sep 2025 | 43 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2025 | 220 | 210 | Satisfactory | — |
| 1 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Aug 2025 | 10 | 14 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2025 | 17 | 30 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Jun 2025 | 19 | 21 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Jun 2025 | 50 | 40 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2025 | 40 | 90 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
3 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 3 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~74 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 3 combined
Measured in 202550 spills307 h · 13 in the bathing season · 2 of 3 monitored
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greyabbey Road Ballywalter WwPS → Strangford |
480 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 3 spills 0 in season · 5 h |
| Ballywalter Fowler 2 CSO → Ards Penninsula |
750 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~73 | 47 spills 13 in season · 302 h |
| Ballywalter Fowler 1 CSO → Ards Penninsula |
750 yd | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
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: Three Sisters ST (0.9 mi → Strangford) · Whitechurch Road 45-53 ST (1.0 mi → Strangford).
Amenities & features
Parking
15
Toilets
1
Drinking water
1
Cafes & food
e.g. Ballywalter Tea and Craft Rooms
1
Shops
e.g. Spar
1
Picnic tables
6
Benches
2
Viewpoints
1
Bins
1
Seaside Award 2026
Dogs, access & rules
Seasonal dog restrictions
- Dogs: Ards & North Down Dog Control Orders exclude dogs from Ballywalter bathing beach 1 May–30 September. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Ballywalter 420 yd
- Ballyhalbert 3.8 mi
- Kircubbin 4.1 mi
2 more further away
- Portavogie 6.0 mi
- Ballydorn 7.5 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
- SAC North Channel
1 protected feature
- Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena Favourable, 2019
- 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.