IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
York Road, BELFAST, BT15 3GZ

This photograph was taken to compare “then and now” with this trolleybus shot Image from just over 43 years ago. The bus is Ulsterbus no 2253 – a Wrightbus Gemini-bodied Volvo working the 08.55 Kilroot – Belfast Laganside Buscentre. The Shore Road here (where North Queen Street joins - left) has changed so much that it could well be a different place.

Trolleybus 154 has just turned at the Grove Park terminus of route 9 on the York Road group of services; the main service continued through to Whitewell. This terminus was principally provided to allow extra journeys to operate to connect with boat trains at York Road Railway Station, and was never a regular turning point. On this occasion it was being used for an afternoon peak period extra journey. The trolleybus is a Guy BTX. The ones for Belfast were practically the only 6-wheelers that Guy built after WW2. All post-war trolleybuses for Belfast had bodies built by the local firm of Harkness. The view has changed considerably. The road junction has unsurprisingly been substantially remodelled. Much of the open space visible has been filled by the modern Wellbeing Centre. Most of the buildings on the right have been replaced too. For a slide show of British Trolleybuses in the late 60s http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=1773236&displayclass=slide

Not shown on the 1:12,000 OS street map, this road runs from the Grove playing fields to North Queen Street (left).

A long street running, parallel to the railway and M2, from Mineral Street Image to Ritchie Street. Much of the area is being re-built. The buildings (background) are Jennymount Mill Image and Thompson’s feed mill Image

Water tender ladder in attendance, at what seemed to be a false alarm, at the Wellbeing Centre, on the Shore Road.

See Image One small but recognisable part is still standing.

My knowledge of north Belfast is extremely limited so no potted history. I can, however, say that the name “Grove” seems to come from The Grove and the Grove Lodge, two Victorian properties in the immediate area. Demolished on 8 February 2013. See also Image

The (closed) entrance, from York Road, to the former Grove Baths Image Demolition started on 8 February 2013. Image and Image show two views in May 2013.

Originally a late-19th century street, off York Road (background), and now part of an area where redevelopment is still underway. The name seems to come from the Belfast Mineral Water Co Ltd which had premises nearby. See also Image

Playpark on the edge of Grove Playing Fields in north Belfast.