Holywood
Holywood is renowned as a vibrant, speciality-shopping town with established art galleries, local artists and craftspeople, all working to promote the area as an attractive place to live or visit. Situated on the southern shore of Belfast Lough most of Holywood district has great views of the Antrim Hills on the northern shore and the town is only six miles from the city of Belfast.
The commercial core of Holywood is High Street, one of the town’s original streets, which lay on the main Belfast to Bangor Road until the construction of the A2 bypass in the 1970’s.
A number of the Province’s most eminent art galleries are located in the town as are a growing number of designers and craftspeople. Indeed Holywood has attracted a number of new town centre businesses and restaurants in the past year, including Artiqua, (antiques and artefacts) Akiva (ladies fashion), Oka (hair salon), Cinderella Slippers (ladies shoes), Living Health (beautician) and Chinese Rendezvous (restaurant).
Well-known artists and sculptors such as the late Rosamond Praeger, L S Merrifield, Maurice Wilks, Rowel Friers and others have encapsulated the spirit of Holywood’s townspeople and as part of a broader regeneration strategy, a charitable company called Holywood Arts Trust has been set up to commission new public art for Holywood. Its Board Directors include representatives from: Holywood Chamber of Commerce, Residents Association, Conservation Group, North Down Borough Council and Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd. The Trust will be working with the Arts Council, corporate sponsors and private benefactors to produce what will eventually become a “Walk of Art”, bringing a new and dynamic artistic dimension to Holywood and the surrounding area.
It is hoped that the Trust’s arts strategy will foster civic pride and contribute to the environmental and socio-economic renewal of the area. The Trust would like to thank the developers of Holywood Exchange Retail Park who also generously and exclusively sponsored the ‘Public Art Strategy’ for the town. The document can be viewed on our web site.
Maps
To find your way around Holywood town centre use the map below. Details include shopping centres within the town, places to eat and also car parks.
Places to Stay in Holywood
Ardshane Country House 028 9042 2044
Braeside Country House 028 9042 6665
Culloden Hotel 028 9042 1066
Rayanne House 028 9042 5859
Members of Holywood Chamber of Commerce
