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BANGOR probably takes its name from its curving bay set between a pair of symmetrical headlands ( beanna chor - "curved peaks") and its sheltered position made it ideal for exploitation as a holiday resort. The town has been hugely popular with Belfast people since the railway came in the 1860s, but today it's as much a suburb of Belfast as a holiday spot. It still possesses a tawdry charm, stuck in a 1960s time warp with all the appropriate bucket-and-spade paraphernalia - giant swan boats to paddle around a mini-lake in the fun park, a miniature railway and amusement arcades. There's also a 500-berth marina which makes Bangor a good place for stocking up on provisions or exploring the coast, while for the land-based the town is well equipped as a stop-off point for dinner and a stroll along the promenade.

Bangor's period of greatest historical significance was almost entirely associated with its abbey , which was founded by St Comgall in 586 AD, and from which missionaries set forth to convert pagan Europe. Though the abbey remained powerful for eight hundred years, there's not a trace of the building left. The only vestige of its fame is the Antiphonarium Benchorense , one of the oldest-known ecclesiastical manuscripts, consisting of collects, anthems and some religious poems; the original now lies in the Ambrosian Library in Milan, but you can view a facsimile of it in the North Down Heritage Centre (July & Aug Mon-Sat 10.30am-5.30pm, Sun 2-5.30pm; rest of year closes 4.30pm & all day Mon; www.north-down.gov.uk/heritage ; free), tucked away at the back of the town hall. Other displays trace the rise of the Ward family who were largely responsible for the town's development and built Bangor Castle (now the town hall). There's also a fascinating collection of Eastern objets d'art collected by a local-born diplomat, Sir John Jordan, and a collection of archeological discoveries featuring the Ballycroghan swords, a wonderful pair of Bronze Age weapons, dating from 500 AD.