- Water quality Excellent sampled 15 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.2 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.4 m period 4 s · NE
- Wind 3 mph from NW · gust 7
- Next tide High 04:52 today · 4.4 m
South-facing sandy beach at the mouth of Carlingford Lough — the warmest swimming in NI.
Conditions now
Air
6°C
Clear
Swell
0.3m
period 3 s · NE
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 15 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 10 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Sep 2026 | 33 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2026 | 25 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Aug 2026 | 11 | 20 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 5 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2026 | 45 | 21 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jul 2026 | 81 | 29 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 270 | 70 | Good | — |
| 1 Jun 2026 | 10 | 20 | Excellent | — |
| 28 May 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Sep 2025 | 31 | 14 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2025 | 22 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Aug 2025 | 67 | 80 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jun 2025 | 19 | 14 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 18 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 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
2 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi.
MeasuredNo monitornone of these overflows has a spill monitor
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranfield Three WwPS | 0.8 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
| Cranfield One WwPS → White Water River |
0.9 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
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: Cranfield WwTW (500 yd → Carlingford Lough) · Cranfield WwTW (500 yd → Carlingford Lough).
Amenities & features
Parking
7
Toilets
3
Lifeguard
1
Picnic tables
4
Benches
3
Information
2
Bins
3
Blue Flag 2026
RNLI lifeguards in season
Dogs, access & rules
Seasonal dog restrictions
- Dogs: Dogs excluded from the main bathing strand at Cranfield in the bathing season under Newry, Mourne & Down byelaws; under control elsewhere. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Greencastle 1.4 mi
- Kilkeel 3.9 mi
- Warrenpoint 8.7 mi
2 more further away
- Annalong 8.9 mi
- Warrenpoint 9.0 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Carlingford Lough
6 protected features · 1 Unfavourable
- Intertidal mudflats and sandflats Favourable, 2021
- Great-crested grebe Unfavourable, 2018
- Dunlin Favourable, 2018
- Light-bellied Brent Goose Favourable, 2018
- Oystercatcher Favourable, 2018
- Red-breasted Merganser Favourable, 2018
- SPA Carlingford Lough
3 protected features · 2 Unfavourable
- Common tern Unfavourable, 2018
- Light-bellied Brent goose Favourable, 2018
- Sandwich tern Unfavourable, 2018
- pSPA Carlingford marine proposed Special Protection Area, not yet classified
3 proposed features
- Light Bellied Brent goose
- Sandwich tern
- Common tern
- Ramsar Carlingford Lough
5 protected features · 2 Unfavourable
- Light-bellied Brent goose Favourable, 2018
- Sandwich tern Unfavourable, 2018
- Common tern Unfavourable, 2018
- Roseate tern not yet assessed
- Arctic tern 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.