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The Ards Peninsula is a peninsula
Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of Landform that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paeninsula : paene, almost + insula, island....
 in County Down
County Down

County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of ....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 which separates Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough is a lough in County Down, Northern Ireland, separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. It is a popular tourist attraction noted for its fishing and the picturesque villages and townships which border its waters....
 from the North Channel of the Irish Sea
Irish Sea

The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of...
, on Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
's northeast coast. A number of towns and villages are located on the peninsula, such as the seaside town of Donaghadee
Donaghadee

Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated on the east coast, about from Belfast and about eight miles north east of Newtownards....
, with the surrounding area known as the Ards
Ards Borough Council

Ards Borough Council is a district council in County Down, Northern Ireland with its headquarters in Newtownards. Other towns include Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee, and the population of the area is about 73,000....
 district.






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Ards Peninsula
The Ards Peninsula is a peninsula
Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of Landform that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paeninsula : paene, almost + insula, island....
 in County Down
County Down

County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of ....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 which separates Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough is a lough in County Down, Northern Ireland, separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. It is a popular tourist attraction noted for its fishing and the picturesque villages and townships which border its waters....
 from the North Channel of the Irish Sea
Irish Sea

The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of...
, on Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
's northeast coast. A number of towns and villages are located on the peninsula, such as the seaside town of Donaghadee
Donaghadee

Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated on the east coast, about from Belfast and about eight miles north east of Newtownards....
, with the surrounding area known as the Ards
Ards Borough Council

Ards Borough Council is a district council in County Down, Northern Ireland with its headquarters in Newtownards. Other towns include Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee, and the population of the area is about 73,000....
 district. Newtownards
Newtownards

Newtownards , is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula....
, situated at the northern end of the peninsula, is the largest town in the area, while Portaferry
Portaferry

Portaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough....
 is at the southern end of the Peninsula. It is largely situated in the Ards Borough Council
Ards Borough Council

Ards Borough Council is a district council in County Down, Northern Ireland with its headquarters in Newtownards. Other towns include Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee, and the population of the area is about 73,000....
 area.

History

The Ards Peninsula was the site of a number of airfields built during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
: RAF Ballyhalbert
RAF Ballyhalbert

RAF Ballyhalbert was a Royal Air Force station at Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula, County Down. RAF Kirkistown was a satellite to the larger Ballyhalbert....
 and its satellite airfield, RAF Kirkistown
RAF Kirkistown

RAF Kirkistown was a satellite to the Royal Air Force base at RAF Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland. Kirkistown is approximately 8km due south of Ballyhalbert....
. Both are now closed and the Kirkistown site is used as a car and motorcycle racing circuit.

Places of interest

  • Scrabo Tower
    Scrabo Tower

    Scrabo Tower is located to the west of Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland.The landmark, which is visible from most of north Down, was built on a volcanic plug above the town in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was one of the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's generals during the Napo...
     overlooks Newtownards
    Newtownards

    Newtownards , is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula....
     and the northern end of the Ards Peninsula. It is in a country park and was built in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry
    Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

    Charles William Stewart , 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, Order of the Garter, Order of the Bath, Royal Guelphic Order, Privy Council of the United Kingdom , known as Sir Charles Stewart from 1813 to 1814 and as the Lord Stewart from 1814 to 1822, was a United Kingdom soldier, politician and nobleman....
    .
  • Mount Stewart
    Mount Stewart

    Mount Stewart is an 18th-century house and garden in Northern Ireland owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty....
    , an 18th-century house and garden owned by the National Trust
    National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

    The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
     near Greyabbey
    Greyabbey

    Greyabbey is a small village located on the eastern shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland, 7 miles south of Newtownards....
    . It was the home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry
    Marquess of Londonderry

    Marquess of Londonderry is a title in the Peerage of Ireland.It was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of Commons....
    .
  • Grey Abbey
    Grey Abbey

    Grey Abbey is a ruined Cistercian priory in County Down, Northern Ireland, currently maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency of the Department of the Environment ....
    , a ruined Cistercian priory
    Priory

    A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows headed by a prior or prioress.Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monastery of monks or nuns ....
    .


Settlements

Towns and villages of the Ards Peninsula include:
  • Newtownards
    Newtownards

    Newtownards , is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula....
  • Portaferry
    Portaferry

    Portaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough....
  • Ballyhalbert
    Ballyhalbert

    Ballyhalbert is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula between Ballywalter and Portavogie....
  • Ballywalter
    Ballywalter

    Ballywalter is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula between Donaghadee and Ballyhalbert....
  • Carrowdore
    Carrowdore

    Carrowdore is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the Ards Peninsula. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 816 people....
  • Cloghy
    Cloghy

    Cloughey is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula. It had a population of 752 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Greyabbey
    Greyabbey

    Greyabbey is a small village located on the eastern shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland, 7 miles south of Newtownards....
  • Kircubbin
    Kircubbin, County Down

    Kircubbin is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland on the shores of Strangford Lough, between Newtownards and Portaferry. The population now sits around 2,000....
  • Portavogie
    Portavogie

    Portavogie is a village and fishing port in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,594 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....