Floodgates, Newtownards – Short Walk

Friday 27th September 2019

LEADER:  Robert McDowell, Telephone No 028 93373084 (land line)

                                                                                 07711 706022 (mobile)

SHORT WALK – the Floodgates walk, which is four and a half miles, will take approximately 2 hours.

MEETING POINT/TIME:  Floodgates Car Park, Portaferry Rd, N’ards 10.40 am.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

Outward Journey:

Train – Dep Whitehead 8.45 am, dep Carrickfergus 8.54 am, dep Jordanstown 9.06 am, arr Lanyon Place 9.21 am.

Bus – Bus no 10 dep Laganside Buscentre at 9.50 am, pick-up opposite Lanyon Place 9.52 am, arr Newtownards Bus Station 10.30 am. Bus for Floodgates dep at 10.35 am and arrives at Floodgates car park 10.40 am.

Return Journey:

Bus – Bus no 9/10 from Ulster Flying Club 2.15 pm, arr N’ards Bus Station at 2.25 pm. Bus to Belfast dep at 2.30 pm, arr Lanyon Place at 3.02 pm.  

Train –  Dep Lanyon Place 3.25 pm, arr Jordanstown 3.39 pm, arr Carrickfergus 3.50, arr Whitehead 4.01 pm.

BY CAR:

The Floodgates car park, Newtownards is approximately 11 miles from Belfast city centre. Take the M5/M2 Motorway south towards Belfast. Stay on the M2 and continue straight on to the M3 over the Lagan River bridge.  Use the right 2 lanes to take the A2 (Sydenham Bypass) towards Bangor.  Pass the City Airport and take the right-hand lane towards Newtownards, following the A55 ring road.  At its junction with the Upper Newtownards Road, turn left towards Newtownards onto the A20.  On approaching Newtownards, follow the signs for Portaferry (the A20 road).  The entrance to the Floodgates car park is about half a mile from the Portaferry Road roundabout on the right hand side. (You will pass a Texaco station, Graham’s Builders’ green fence and the Ulster Flying Club).

THE WALK:

The walk is flat, well surfaced and scenic as it follows the north end of Strangford Lough.  The walk is linear and is 2.3 miles each way.

LUNCH:

We will have lunch at around 12.45 pm at “Cloud Nine”, the restaurant attached to the Ulster Flying Club, adjacent to the Floodgates car park. There is ample car parking and toilets at the flying club.  There are no toilets at the Floodgates car park, or along the walk.