Bangor Boats Away
“On the train that hugs the coast” – Think of Home by Snow Patrol
Hey everyone! Welcome to my eighth in a series of travel blogs about the adventures I have gone on, as poet in residence at Belfast Grand Central Station and places you can travel to as well from the station.
Writing this, I’m sitting in one of the best spots in Bangor—and if you’re a brunch lover, you’ll know exactly where I mean. I’m upstairs in The Red Berry Café, with a cup of tea, overlooking the marina on a bright spring afternoon. Boats bobbing, kids laughing at the funfair below, and the sea stretching out like a story waiting to be told.
This morning, I headed to Platform 3 at Belfast Grand Central Station for the Bangor train. As a child, Bangor was always a sunny-day destination—Helen’s Bay if you were feeling fancy, Newcastle if you had a caravan, and Ballycastle if you were up for a longer drive. But Bangor? Bangor was the classic day trip. And today, I swapped the car for the train—and what a relaxing journey it was.
As we pulled out of Belfast, I remembered Gary Lightbody’s lyrics:
“I remember trips to Belfast / On that train that hugs the coast…”
And he’s right. The train glides past Titanic Quarter, Marino, Holywood, and then suddenly you’re in Bangor. The sea flashes in and out of view, the fields turn into golf courses, and the rhythm of the journey feels like a poem in motion.
When I arrived at Bangor Station, I was greeted by beautiful artwork of local school children—and just outside, the newly restored Bangor chimney, a striking reminder of the town’s industrial heritage. It’s lovely to see Translink preserving these pieces of history and giving them new life.
From the station, I wandered down the high street, dipping into charity shops and chatting with locals. At the bottom of the hill, the white poles of the marina came into view, and I popped into Tourist Information beside The Tower to see what else I could explore. There’s Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, the Marina Walk around to Groomsport, and so much more.
One thing that really caught my eye was the street art—especially beside The Rabbit Rooms, The Guillemot (which I hear does a gorgeous coffee), and the mermaid mural holding a porthole window in the heart of the marina. I found out it’s by Bangor-based artist Friz, who also has a piece in the Translink York St Station Underpass. Her work feels like it belongs to the sea—bold, dreamy, and full of movement.
As poet-in-residence at Belfast Grand Central Station, these kinds of journeys are gold dust. They give me space to reflect, gather stories, and stitch together the lines of the poem I’m working on for the station. Bangor, with its blend of sea air, art, and nostalgia, has definitely left its mark.
After all that noising about in charity shops and wandering along the water, I settled into the café, watching the world go by. Later, I plan to walk around to Groomsport, maybe stop into The Jamaica Inn (which I’ve heard great things about), loop back past Bangor Castle, and catch the train home as the sun sets over Holywood. I might even hop off and sit at The Dirty Duck for a bit… we’ll see!
Bangor by train feels timeless — and if you’d like to plan your own day by the sea, the Journey Planner makes it easy.