Ballywalter.

The town of Ballywalter stands on the east coast of the Ards Peninsular in County Down, there is evidence of human habitation in earlier times with the rath's of Blackabbey and Tullycavey.

After the Norman invasion of Ulster by John de Courcy the area around Dunover near Ballywalter was given by him to Lucian De Arquilla, the remains of a motte built by De Arquilla can still be seen. The Name Balywalter is derived according to P W Joyce Ballywater; Baile-uachtar, upper town, however another very plausible explanation is that is derives from Walter De Arquilla, son of Lucian De Arquilla.

The remains of possible the oldest building in Ballywalter is the church of Templefyn stands in the local graveyard, it is mentioned in the Roll of Taxation of Pope Nicholas for the year 1306.

The Norman invasion was for the most part a religious crusade on behalf of the Catholic church, anxious to curtail the church in Ireland which was becoming altogether too independent for Rome's liking. The invading troops or rather the knights were remunerated with the land they seized, everyone was happy pope Adrian the first and only English pope, the Normans had acquired lots of new land, the Irish were one can image not at all pleased they were now either dead or disposed of their lands.

The Priory of St Andrew of the Ardes was begun in 1180 it became known as Blackabbey because of the habit worn by the Benedictine monks, the priory is said to have 600 acres of land. No doubt the monks done an excellent job of re-educating the local and soon the tithes would have been flowing.

The abbey endured until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1536, according to Samuel Lewis' Directories the abbey was built in 1204 while Bassets County Down Directory dates its building as 1180 with the last stone removed by a farmer around 1866, Bassett names the abbey "St. Andrew de Stokes" There is a local tradition that a tunnel linked Greyabbey Cistercian abbey to Blackabbey a distance of two miles.

Ballywalter grew up as a harbour town, before the present stone harbour was built a wooden pier existed, in 1866. A lifeboat, ‘The Admiral Henry Meynell” was presented to the village by the Misses Ingram of Lisburn. It was a sailing ship with oars.In 1893 a new boat ‘The William Wallace’ was brought to Ballywalter.

Situated in the province of ULSTER, 4 miles (N. E.) from Kirkcubbin: the population is returned with the the union of St. Andrew's. This parish is situated on the eastern coast, and with a detached portion comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 3379 statute acres.

The village, which in 1831 contained 664 inhabitants, is situated in lat. 54° 32' 20" (N.), and lon. 5° 28' (W.), and is a coast-guard station, forming one of the twelve that constitute the district of Donaghadee.

It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Down, and is part of the union of Ballywalter or St. Andrew's; the rectory is appropriate to the Lord-Primate. The tithes amount to £339. 18. 1., of which £226. 12. 1. is payable to the Lord-Primate, and £113. 6. to the incumbent. On the next avoidance of the benefice of St. Andrew's, this parish will become a separate living, in the patronage of the Lord-Primate.

In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Lower Ardes. There are two places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster. Some ruins of the old church yet exist.