- Water quality Excellent sampled 15 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.6 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.6 m period 3 s · NE
- Wind 6 mph from N · gust 10
- Next tide High 04:48 today · 3.8 m
Kilclief is a coastal beach on the South Down coast, in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
Conditions now
Air
8°C
Partly cloudy
Swell
0.2m
period 4 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 | 15 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Aug 2026 | 47 | 24 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Aug 2026 | 10 | 18 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 5 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | 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 | 11 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 May 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Aug 2025 | 10 | 220 | Satisfactory | — |
| 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 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jun 2025 | 29 | 15 | 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.
Measured in 202523 spills141 h · 3 in the bathing season · 1 of 2 monitored
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilclief Two WwPS → Strangford Lough South |
320 yd | To be Determined | — | 23 spills 3 in season · 141 h |
| Kilclief One WwPS → Strangford |
0.6 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: Bar Hall WwTW (1.9 mi → Strangford Lough South) · Strangford WwTW (2.1 mi → Strangford Lough South).
Amenities & features
Parking
e.g. Kilclief car park
6
Picnic tables
11
Benches
5
Bike parking
1
Information
6
Bins
6
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Strangford 2.6 mi
- Portaferry 2.7 mi
- Ardglass 5.7 mi
2 more further away
- Killough 6.9 mi
- Portavogie 9.4 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Strangford Lough Part 2
6 protected features · 2 Unfavourable
- Intertidal rock Favourable, 2019
- Intertidal mudflats and sandflats Favourable, 2021
- Harbour seal Phoca vitulina Unfavourable, 2021
- Arctic Tern Favourable, 2017
- Common Tern Unfavourable, 2018
- Bar-tailed Godwit Favourable, 2018
- SAC Strangford Lough
5 protected features · 2 Unfavourable
- Reefs Unfavourable, 2018
- Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide Favourable, 2021
- Large shallow inlets and bays Favourable, 2019
- Coastal lagoons Favourable, 2021
- Harbour seal Phoca vitulina Unfavourable, 2019
- SPA Strangford Lough
5 protected features · 3 Unfavourable
- Bar-tailed godwit Favourable, 2018
- Arctic tern Favourable, 2017
- Common tern Unfavourable, 2017
- Golden plover Unfavourable, 2018
- Knot Unfavourable, 2018
- Ramsar Strangford Lough
6 protected features
- Sandwich tern not yet assessed
- Light-bellied Brent goose not yet assessed
- Knot not yet assessed
- Common Redshank not yet assessed
- Common tern not yet assessed
- Overwintering waterfowl not yet assessed
- MCZ Strangford Lough
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.