Shore Road is the continuation of York Road, which in turn is the continuation of York Street. It is named from the fact that it skirted the western shore of Belfast Lough until the mid-19th century, but this was before the reclamation of a large area of land in the docks area called Low-Wood Intake (Duncrue Street and surroundings). Several coastal features have disappeared with these changes, such as Ringan Point, a small headland which was located near the junction where Fortwilliam Park meets Shore Road today. The name Shore Road was mentioned in the Belfast News Letter of 9th October, 1778 (IHTA xii, 18). At this time, it ran through countryside outside the northern boundary of the town of Belfast. It was a popular area for wealthy families of merchants and professionals to build fine residences. These included Park Mount, Low Wood, Mount Vernon, Fort William, Seaview, Skegoneill and The Grove. None of these houses exists today because in all cases the land was sold for development, either for industrial purposes or to create housing for workers.
Shore Road (Belfast to Carrickfergus) on Taylor and Skinner's Road Map, 1777