Ballyhanwood stretches from the outskirts of Dundonald up into the Castlereagh Hills towards Gilnahirk. In Irish, Baile Sheanóid means Henwood's Townland, with Sheanóid thought to be a gaelic form of the English surname Henwood or in this case De Henwood- the surname of a Norman knight granted land here by John de Courcy in the 12th century. At just over one square mile or 644 acres, it is the 296th largest townland in County Down.
There are two sites of archaeological interest within Ballyhanwood. Firstly during an archaeological survey conducted for the Hanwood phase 2 Development on the Old Dundonald Road in the early 2000s. Twenty test trenches across the two areas of development were excavated, most had nothing of archaeological significance. However, within Test Trench 11, archaeologists identified the possible remains of a prehistoric house [DOW005:099], including two potential foundation posts as well as shards of pottery thought to date from the Bronze Age (2500BC-500BC). In a nearby field there is also thought to be the remains of a Cashel [DOW005:055], generally known as a 'Ringfort' which was an early circular stone structure used for defence dating from the Early Christian Period (500-1100AD).
Of more recent times, Ballyhanwood contains a site of historical significance in relation to the Second World War with Gilnahirk Y Station, a listening post built in 1942 to intercept enemy messages. George's research cast a light onto the little known network of 'Secret Listeners' active during the Second World War- which included many amateur radio enthusiasts inducted into the Y service to monitor for German radio communications which were then relayed to codebreakers at the famous Bletchley Park. It closed as a listening station in 1978 and fell into disrepair, however it has now been converted into residential accommodation. In 2016, local author George Busby published a book on this site called The Spies at Gilnahirk (Belfast, 2016).
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