Click the logo for the 'Lite' search page.
Today's local tide estimates
High water: ,
Low water: * Coming soon
High water: ,
Low water:
Local weather
WNW Force 4, Clear/Sunny, 5°C
Swell today
Direction S, height 0.2 metres, period 5.3 seconds, significant wave height of 0.7 metres.
Summary
A good location with careful navigation required for access.
LWS draught
3 metres (9.84 feet).
Shelter See it »
Sheltered: N, S, SW, W, NW
Unprotected: NE, E, SE
Nature (summary)
Anchorage, landing by tender, secluded, strong tides.
Facilities (summary)
(None)
Haven position? See it »
54° 20.130' N, 005° 32.330' W
Where is that position? See it »
500 metres west of the Kilclief Castle in 3 metres.
What is the initial fix? See it »
The following Strangford Lough Initial Fix waypoint will set up a final approach:
54° 18.266' N, 005° 29.492' W
Two miles out from the Angus Rock Lighthouse, a white tower with a red top Fl. R. 5s 15m 6M. It is situated upon the 323° leading line provided by the tower in-line with the Cross Roads anchorage beacon that is a grey stone pillar. It is just over half a mile southwest of the Strangford Light buoy (safe water marker L Fl.10s) and it leads into the Lough’s preferred East Channel.
Why visit here?
Kilclief (locally kill-leaf) Bay offers the cruising boatman the first anchoring opportunity inside the Strangford entrance with the possibility to land. It also is an area of historical interest and beauty of itself.
The locations dominating early tower-house castle was built between 1413 and 1441 as the residence for John Sely Bishop of Down. The tall four floors building, with its square projecting turrets, high arch and spiral staircases, is the earliest known tower house in County Down. It has an unusual gatehouse style, echoed in Ardglass and nearby Audley's Castle.
The building was the centre of scandal from the outset when the bishop was found to be living there with Lettice Whailey Savage, a married woman. The Pope stripped Bishop Sely of the see of Down and in 1443 he was ejected and deprived of his offices. The castle was later garrisoned for the Crown by Nicholas Fitzsimmons and ten warders in 1601 for a short time. By the 18th century the castle was thatched and part of a farm and was recently used as a farm granary. It is now in state care and guided tours are available upon request.
It is open July and August (closed on Mondays). A board outside the castle tells where you can obtain a key should you want access or phone +4428 9181 1491 for details. Admission is free and children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult for safety reasons. Visitors should also take in the nearby parish church that has medieval coffin lids on display.
The Kilclief shoreline is characterised by rocky and sandy coves with views across the Narrows and across to Angus Rock lighthouse, passed whilst entering. It is a popular summer bathing spot with pleasant rock pools covered in colourful lichens and a variety of interesting seaweeds at low water, particularly on the lower shore. Above the beach big white daisies - Seaside Mayweed, flower in late summer (not May as the name suggests) are in abundance.
Kilclief is the ideal place to take time to sit for a while and look over the Strangford Narrows, watch the seafaring birds, including terns, which breed in the Lough and enjoy the remote location.
How to get in?
Small vessels cannot enter or leave Strangford Lough against the tide and for a first time visit it is advisable to approach on slack water. Local knowledge is required to negotiate the ‘Narrows’ at night so a first visit should be in daylight. As slack water only happens twice a day, and most likely once in daylight, planning the approach to work the tides is essential. As a minimum you should plan to enter with flood and leave with ebb.
We describe the approach to the East Channel that is the principal approach into Strangford Lough. It is east of Angus Rock Lighthouse and approximately midway between Killard Point and Ballyquintin Point. Although there are other channels and short cuts they are not covered here and not recommended for strangers to the area.
The Strangford Lough Initial Fix is approximately two miles out from the Angus Rock Lighthouse, white tower with a red top, and approximately five miles from Strangford Creek.
Angus Rock Lighthouse - Fl. R. 5s 15m 6M position: 54° 19.843’N, 005° 31.520’W
It is just over half a mile southwest of the Strangford Light buoy (safe water marker) and leads into the Lough’s East Channel.
Strangford Light buoy - L Fl.10s position: 54° 18.626’N, 005° 28.689’W
From the initial fix you may come straight in upon the 323° leading line provided by the tower, in-line with the Cross Roads anchorage beacon that is a grey stone pillar situated approximately a mile and a half behind upon the western shore – please note Angus Rock tower obscures the Cross Roads beacon when the transit is directly in line.
The route takes you past St Patrick's Rocks, half a mile away on the port side, marked by a red beacon (that is unlit at night).
St Patrick's Rocks - Red Beacon position: 54° 18.584’N, 005° 30.937’W
Then past Bar Pladdy South Cardinal, 400 metres to starboard, off Ballyquintin Point.
Bar Pladdy South Cardinal – Q(6) +L Fl. 15s position: 54° 19.344’N, 005° 30.501’W
When the north end of Portaferry town comes open to the west of Bankmore Hill, located at Rue Point, you are in the East Channel. The route then turns slightly eastwards taking a north by northwest direction. This aligns the 341° leading light beacon off Dogpoint (front; Oc(4)G.10s, 2 metres high red beacon) and Gowland Rocks (rear; Oc(2)G.10s, 5 metres high white stone beacon, green top). Take this new bearing and leave Angus Rock Lighthouse, 300 metres to port, and Pladdy Lug, upon which stands a large pile beacon made up of glazed white tiles, 500 metres to starboard.
Pladdy Lug – position: 54° 19.826’N, 005° 30.812’W
Continue upon this track until you see Kilclief Castle upon the western shore, bear 265° when the ‘Meadows Shoal’, an area with just over 2 metres of cover, has been safely passed to port.
The castle is a tall, four floors high, tower-house (sometimes called the gatehouse type, because of its castle gatehouse aspect) and will be unmistakable. You will most likely see a handful of boats on moorings there also.
Track in to the inner bay paying careful attention to steerage when passing from the main tidal streams of the fairway into the comparative slack water of the inner bay. Anchor in a depth to your preference where you will find excellent holding in muddy gravel that is out of the main run of the ‘Narrows’ tidal streams.
Kilclief has a nice small hard sand beach to land upon.
What are the tides here?
Today's Dover tides — High water: 09:09, 21:36, Low water: 03:55, 16:22 From Tide Times
High Water Strangford Quay Dover +0147 springs, 0157 neaps
MHWS 3.6m MHWN 3.1m MLWN 0.9m MLWS 0.4m
Strangford Narrows Tidal Streams
Flood starts Dover -0345, Belfast -0330
Ebb starts Dover +0215, Belfast +0230
Attainable speed: East Channel, in-going 5 kn; out-going stream 7.5 kn at springs. Streams are almost simultaneous throughout the narrows and the period of slack water is very short as the tides reverse. The stream runs in line with the Narrows except to the north of Angus Rock where the flood and ebb run northwest and southeast respectively.
The latest monthly Dover and Dublin (North Wall) tides courtesy of the National Environmental Research Council. Printable monthly tides for Dublin, Dunmore, Cobh, Galway, Belfast are available from the ISA.
The national weather forecast, Met Éireann and BBC shipping forecasts, plus a very simplified Ulster tourist outlook. From an Atlantic perspective a 24 hour North Atlantic synoptic chart that you may ‘right click’ and save to your hard disk. Met Éireann’s Eastern Atlantic chart and the BBC’s surface area forecast plus visible satellite images for Ireland and Northeast Atlantic from Met Éireann. Wind observations, XC UK & Ireland, Windguru wind & wave reports, and Windfinder where you can determine a forecast time. Coastal radio stations (VHF Channel) Weather forecast at 0103 and thence every 3 hours updated every sixth. Dublin 83, Wicklow Head 87, Rosslare 23 and Mine Head 83. Radio broadcasts on RTE 1 (89.1FM) 0603, 1253, 1655 and 2355.
A free tidal range prediction application for windows, a simple tide monitor plus the rule of twelfths are available in inyourfootsteps.com shared ‘experience’.
What facilities are available?
Kilclief is situated on the A2 Strangford to Ardglass road with a parking area just above the beach. There is a small village by the same name to the south but apart from that there are no local facilities and the nearest village of any size is Strangford 2.5 miles (4km) to the north.
What emergency contacts are there?
Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC). Operational Area: Northern Ireland/ Irish Republic Border, Lough Foyle to Northern/Irish Republic Border Carlingford Lough. Belfast Coastguard (MRSC) VHF Ch 16, liaises closely with IRCG. Emergencies are worked on 16, 67 and working channel.
Alternatively, or if ashore, phone 999 and 112 and ask for ‘Marine Rescue’. Police, Fire and Rescue are also available on this number. Belfast (MRSC) may be contacted directly on +44 2891 463 933. An inshore lifeboat is maintained at Portaferry.
Other useful contacts in this area:
Strangford Harbour Master (at ferry terminal)
VHF Channel Ch 12, 14, 16, M
Tel:+44 28 4488 1637
Monday to Friday (9am-5pm)
Portaferry Marina
VHF Channel Ch. M2, 80
Tel: +44 28 4272 9598
Mobile: +44 7703 209 780
barholm.portferry@virgin.net
Strangford Sailing Club Tel:+44 28 44 86404
Police: +44 4461 5011,
Medical Clinic +44 4461 3016
Any security concerns?
Never a problem known to have occurred in Kilclief Bay.
With thanks to:
Brian Crawford, local Strangford Lough boatman of many decades.
Please note inyourfootsteps.com makes no guarantee of the validity of this information, we have not visited this haven and do not have first-hand experience to qualify the data. Although the contributors are vetted by peer review as practised authorities, they are in no way, whatsoever, responsible for the accuracy of their contributions. It is essential that you thoroughly check the accuracy and suitability for your vessel of any waypoints offered in any context plus the precision of your GPS. Any data provided on this page is entirely used at your own risk and you must read our legal page if you view data on this site.
