Castle Ward

Castle Ward is an 18th-century National Trust property located near the village of Strangford, in County Down, Northern Ireland, in the townland of the same name. It overlooks Strangford Lough and is 7 miles from Downpatrick and 1.5 miles from Strangford.

Castle Ward is open to the public and includes 332 hectares (820 acres) of landscaped gardens, a fortified tower house, Victorian laundry, theatre, restaurant, shop, saw mill and a working corn mill. It has a shore on Strangford Lough. From 1985 to 2010 it has also hosted Castleward Opera, an annual summer opera festival.

Features

The most interesting aspect of Castle Ward is that of its dual architecture, reflecting the differing tastes of Lord Bangor and his wife, Lady Ann Bligh. While the entrance side of the building is done in a classical Palladian style with columns supporting a triangular pediment, the opposite side is Georgian Gothic with pointed windows, battlements and finials. This differences in style continue throughout the interior of the house with the divide down the centre.

There is a tower house in the estate's farmyard, built as a defensive structure in 1610 by Nicholas Ward.

History

Castle Ward has been the home of the Ward family since ca. 1570. Originally known as Carrick na Sheannagh and owned by the Earls of Kildare, it was bought by Bernard Ward, father of Sir Robert Ward, Surveyor-General of Ireland. The 850 acre walled demesne also dates from the 16th century. The Ward family built a succession of homes in their estate; Old Castle Ward, built around 1590 near to Strangford Lough, still survives, but a mansion built around 1720 by Judge Michael Ward was demolished around 1850, although some of the associated landscaping remains.

The architect of the current building, built in the early 1760s for Michael Ward's son Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor is unknown, although he may have come from the Bristol area, with which the Ward family had close ties. It may have been James Bridges who practiced in Bristol between 1757 and 1763 and whose work there has some similarity to Castle Ward.

The property passed under a settlement made in 1748 to Bernard Ward's eldest son, Nicholas, who was clearly insane. When his younger brother, Edward, died in 1812 leaving a young son, the youngest brother Robert took the opportunity to move the insane Nicholas into a smaller house in Downpatrick and strip Castle Ward of everything valuable. The house stood empty until the death of Nicholas in 1827, when it was inherited by Edward's son, now the 3rd Viscount. He and his descendants carried out the process of restoring the building and its furnishings, but on the death of the 6th Viscount in 1950 the house and estate were made over in lieu of death duties to the Government of Northern Ireland, who presented the house and its gardens to the National Trust in 1952.

On 10 February 1973, Leonard O'Hanlon (age 23) and Vivienne Fitzsimmons (age 17), both members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, were killed in a premature bomb explosion in the grounds of Castle Ward estate.​

See the gothic and classical collide at Castle Ward, an eccentric 18th century mansion resting on a rolling hillside and looking out over the tranquil waters of Strangford Lough in County Down. Walk or cycle along the Lough trail or through the sheltered woodlands and spot butterflies, rabbits, ducks and swans. Stroll through the sunken garden and see vivid reds, yellows, greens and pinks from flowers and subtropical plants in the Victorian Sunken Garden.

You can also head out on the Lough in a canoe, climb and abseil the cliffs, and build a raft with Clearsky Adventure.

Round the day off with a treat in the tearoom or browse the gift shop and pick up a bargain at the second-hand bookshop.
 

Don’t Miss

• The farmyard complete with ducks, chickens and pygmy goats
• The 36km of trails that loop throughout the estate – rent bikes from the Clearsky Adventure Centre and get exploring
• Visit the Barn for children’s crafts, play-room and lots of ride-on tractors
• Visit the artist’s studios and see the resident makers at work
• Check out the ‘Secret Nature Shore Trail’ for a mile-long stretch of activities and nature to discover.

HBO's Game of Thrones at Castle Ward 

Step into a fantasy world of castles and dragons as you explore the Georgian farmyard and the Lough shore, film locations for the smash hit television series Game of Thrones. Castle Ward’s historic farmyard was featured as the location of Winterfell for much of season one. 

It’s where you'll find the Whispering Wood and key scenes including Robb Stark’s Camp, the Baelor battle and when Brienne confronts the Stark men.  Visit to discover Winterfell for yourself, and join in with Winterfell Tours to get the full Westeros experience.

Castle Ward

Castle Ward
Strangford
BT30 7BA

Telephone

028 4488 1204

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Ward