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and Donaghadee (formerly the main ferry port for mainland Britain). As a result, it has been patronised by many famous names, including the young Peter the Great (tsar of Russia), Dick Turpin (highwayman), former US president George HW Bush, and a veritable roll call of literary figures, including Swift, Tennyson, Thackeray, Dickens, Trollope and CS Lewis. Established in 1614, the Old Inn claims to be Ireland’s oldest hotel, with the original thatched cottage (now the bar) flanked by 18th-century additions. The atmosphere is cosy and welcoming, with log fires, low ceilings and wood panelling, and there’s a lovely garden terrace at the back. The rooms, dressed up with Arts and Crafts–style wallpaper and mahogany woodwork, have bags of character, and the inn’s oak-panelled Restaurant 1614 (3-course dinner Mon-Thu £30, Fri & Sat £35, 4-course lunch Sun £19; 7-9.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-3pm Sun) is one of Northern Ireland’s best.

The scenic glen behind the Old Inn runs through Crawfordsburn Country Park ( 9185 3621; South Bridge Rd, Helen’s Bay; admission free; 9am-9pm Easter-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Easter) to reach the coast at one of County Down’s best beaches; the park offers a number of good woodland and coastal walks. To the west lies Grey Point Fort ( 9185 3621; admission free; 10am-6pm Wed-Sun Easter-Sep, noon-4pm Sun Oct-Easter), an early-20th-century gun emplacement with command post and lookout station. The 30-tonne 6in coastal defence gun has been trained on Belfast Lough since 1904, though never fired in anger.

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TOP FIVE ROMANTIC HIDEAWAYS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Bushmills Inn

Galgorm Resort & Spa

Malmaison Hotel

Westville Hotel

Old Inn (left)

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Ulsterbus service 1 from Belfast to Bangor stops at Crawfordsburn village (hourly); alternatively, you can take the train to Helen’s Bay Station, a wonderful little Victorian halt dating from 1865 and built by the Marquess of Dufferin, who owned the surrounding estate.

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BANGOR

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Bangor is to Belfast what Brighton is to London – a Victorian seaside resort that is undergoing a renaissance as an out-of-town base for city commuters. The Belfast–Bangor train line was built in the late 19th century to connect the capital with the then flourishing resort. The opening of a huge marina and the ongoing redevelopment of the seafront have boosted Bangor’s fortunes in recent years – it’s widely regarded as the most desirable address in Northern Ireland – though the kitsch tradition of British seaside towns survives in the Pickie Family Fun Park.

Orientation & Information

The bus and train stations are together on Abbey St, at the uphill end of Main St. At the bottom of Main St is the marina with B&Bs clustered to the east and west on Queen’s Pde and Seacliff Rd. Bangor has both a Main St and a High St, which converge on Bridge St at the marina.

Bangor Library ( 9127 0591; 80 Hamilton Rd; 9am-9pm Mon-Wed, to 10pm Thu, to 5pm Fri & Sat) Internet access costs £1.50 for 30 minutes.

Post Office ( 9145 0150; 143 Main St)

Tourist Information Centre ( 9127 0069; www.northdown.gov.uk; 34 Quay St; 9am-6pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 10am-6pm Wed, 10am-5pm Sat & 1-5pm Sun Jul & Aug, 9am-5pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 10am-5pm Wed, 10am-4pm Sat, closed Sunday Sep-Jun) Housed in a tower built in 1637 as a fortified customs post.

Sights & Activities

Apart from strolling along the seafront, Bangor’s main attraction is the Pickie Family Fun Park ( 9185 7030; Marine Gardens; per ride £1.50; 10am-10pm daily Easter-Sep, to sunset Sat & Sun Oct-Easter). It’s an old-fashioned seaside entertainment complex famous for its swan-shaped pedal boats, complete with kids adventure playground, karts and miniature steam train. Ballyholme Bay, to the east of the town centre, has a long sandy beach and wide green spaces for the kids to run around in.

The Blue Aquarius ( 07779 600607; www.bangorboat.com; departures from 2pm daily Jul & Aug, Sat & Sun Apr-Jun & Sep) offers pleasure cruises (adult/child from £5/2) around Bangor Bay, departing from the marina pontoon