Heritage & Culture
North Down has a number of various key sites which are historically important.
Historic Sites
North Down is lucky to have lots of historical sites from one end of the borough to the other.
From Holywood’s Maypole, the only one in Ireland along with the Holywood Priory to Bangor Abbey, Bangor Castle and Walled Garden and the 16th century fishermen’s cottages at Cockle Row in Groomsport there’s plenty to see.
Christian Heritage Trail
The area is rich in Christian Heritage stretching as far back to 558AD with the foundation of Bangor Abbey.
From these early beginnings Christianity in the area has had a varied development from suffering attacks at the hands of Vikings in the 9th Century through to the growth of Presbyterianism during the Ulster Plantations in the 17th Century. The era of industrialisation and the advent of the railways saw the area grow further and with it the construction of a plethora of churches, something that has continued to this day.
Museums
With a diverse history as North Down’s has two fine museums:the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra and the North Down Museum in Bangor.
If you require any further information on the area please contact Bangor Tourist Information Centre, Tel: 028 9127 0069 or tic@northdown.gov.uk