Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Newtownabbey is a large dispersed town, located to the north of Belfast, surrounding Carnmoney Hill in County Antrim. It is within the townlands of Ballybought, Ballyduff, Ballygolan, Ballyhenry, Ballyvesey, Ballywonard, Carnmoney, Collinward, Cloughfern, Drumnadrough, Dunanney, Glengormley, Jordanstown, Mallusk, Monkstown, Whiteabbey and Whitehouse, in the civil parishes of Carnmoney and Shankill. Newtownabbey was created as a new town by an Act of Parliament in 1958, the intent being to create a larger town encompassing the existing settlements of Carnmoney, Glengormley, Jordanstown, Monkstown, Whiteabbey, Whitehouse and Whitewell. Since that time these villages have become part of a large urban area which now surrounds Carmoney Hill. The name is a combination of 'Newtown' and 'abbey' in reference to the ruined abbey at Whiteabbey. The new town was given an urban district council in April 1958, later Newtownabbey Borough Council. From 2015 it has lain within the larger Antrim and Newtownabbey Council area. There is a civic headquarters at Mossley Mill and the Abbey Retail Centre near Whitehouse, but it otherwise lacks a traditional town centre. It is sometimes considered a dispersed urban area rather than a single town, the villages around which it was developed each retaining their distinct identities. The town is within the council area of Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Place Type: Town
Historic County: Antrim
Lat, Long: 54.695581,-5.94792
Grid Reference: J 3235 8499
Townland: Croghfern TD
Civil Parish: Carnmoney CP
Council Area: Antrim and Newtownabbey CA
Police Area: Northern Ireland PA
Devolved Legislature:  Northern Ireland Assembly

GBPN ID: 321667
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Newtownabbey,_Antrim_321667

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