Castle Ward

Castle Ward in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, is an eclectic piece of Northern Irish architecture, featuring one Classical and one Gothic façade. With the Great British Heritage Pass you can visit Castle Ward and enjoy a taste of Northern Ireland’s history for yourself.

Boasting a stunning location overlooking Strangford Lough, a large shallow sea inlet on the East coast of County Down, Castle Ward sits on 332 hectares of woodlands, horse trails, formal gardens and even a wildlife centre.

Visitors can spend anything from half an hour to three hours perusing the grounds of Castle Ward on designated walks, and particularly popular are the Temple Water (a man-made pleasure lake) and the old farm yard with 17th century keep.

The mid-Georgian mansion is an architectural curiosity, created both internally and externally in two distinct styles – Classical and Gothic. The Victorian laundry, playroom, cornmill, leadmine and sawmill give the full flavour of how the Castle Ward estate worked. There are many spaces available for private hire, including a caravan site and a holiday cottage.

Today Castle Ward is popular with local music fans as much as tourists in that it is the site of Castleward Opera – a formal, fully established Summer-time opera which has seen the old barn transformed to an auditorium with supper served on the lawn.

Planning your visit to Castle Ward

Castle Ward is open from March to September each year on selected days and times. Please visit the National Trust website for full details of opening times before visiting the estate.