Connswater: A Hub of Commerce, Nature, and Community in Belfast

Nestled in the heart of East Belfast is the area of Connswater, a blend of housing, retail and nature. Sitting at the heart of the area is the bustling Connswater Retail Park and shopping centre, which has flowing through the complex the River Connswater.

People mistake this river to be a tributary of Belfast's main River the Lagan but the River Lagan has only one significant tributary, that being the River Ravernet and although it has several minor tributaries, the Carryduff River, the River Farset and the Blackstaff River, the River Connswater is not one of them.

The River Connswater rises in the Castlereagh hills to the south east of Belfast and flows northwards through East Belfast until it joins Belfast Lough. The River Connswater comes into being just off the Beersbridge Road near the old Elmgrove Primary School, where the River Knock and the River Loop join.

In the past two decades substantial monies have been spent to upgrade the River Connswater and to enhance the whole area. The project surrounding the Connswater Community Greenway aimed to provide 16km of foot and cycle paths, provide or improve 26 bridges and crossings, clean aspects of the rivers Loop, Knock and Connswater, enhance the environment for wildlife to thrive and create spaces for community activities and events, such as C.S, Lewis Square & the Eastside Visitors Centre. The side of the visitors centre is home to an art installation showing off some of the city's most famous faces, including Van Morrison. The greenway project also included a flood alleviation scheme to protect hundreds of properties from the river.

Closeby is the Connswater Shopping Centre, which first opened in 1987and which has evolved over the years to include a sunstantial retail park, which as you would expect provides for both ends of the spectrum, a McDonalds on one side and a Better Gym on the other (with a KFC in the middle).

Although, the retail park is thriving the once loved shopping centre is struggling. At its height the centre boasted Next, Tesco and Dunnes stores but you know all is not well when empty units are taken over by charities, social enterprises and other like projects. That having been said the centre still provides stores such as the Range, Holland & Barrett, Peacocks, PoundStretcher and the Halifax not to mention some eateries, so it still somewhere I visit quite often.