The name “Praeger’s Field” refers to the donation of this little piece of coast by the local artist Rosamond Praeger to the people, specifically the children, of Holywood. Today most children play closely supervised in the play enclosure round the corner in Seapark surrounded by car parks.
Previous to its formal donation this area was referred to as Cooper’s Bay and was a long established place for locals to bathe. The Twisel burn meets the sea here in a serious of meanders, often disappearing completely into the sand and shells. The back of the beach is gradually becoming colonised by dune vegetation which supports butterflies and other rich wildlife.
Con Auld in his book points out that the people of Holywood could have observed many of the key moments of our maritime history from the elevated field above. These would have included the arrival of King John in 1210 and the departure of the Titanic in 1912.
He ends his essay on Coopers Bay with the following hopeful thought:
Perhaps some day when the quality of sea water in Belfast Lough improves, Cooper’s Bay will again provide a premier bathing beach for the people of Holywood.
