Castle Ward
Castle Ward, near Strangford, Downpatrick, County Down
An eighteenth-century National Trust estate on the shore of Strangford Lough in County Down, with landscaped grounds, woodland walks, a tower house and a house split between Palladian and Gothic styles.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit Castle Ward?
Castle Ward is a lough-side estate where the pleasure is in the setting: woods, lawns and water, with Strangford Lough always close by. The grounds cover around 820 acres, so a visit here is about walking and looking out over the water as much as about flower beds.
The house is the obvious starting point. It is famous for being built in two styles, Palladian on the entrance side and Georgian Gothic on the garden side, reflecting the different tastes of Bernard Ward and his wife, Lady Ann Bligh. From there you can head out through the landscaped grounds and woodland, down to the lough shore, and to Old Castle Ward, a tower house from about 1590 near the water. In the farmyard is another tower house built in 1610 by Nicholas Ward, alongside a Victorian laundry, saw mill and working corn mill. The estate also has a theatre, a restaurant and a shop, and fans may recognise the estate from Game of Thrones, which used Castle Ward as Winterfell.
For gardeners, Castle Ward is a good place to think about how planting and buildings can be arranged to make the most of water views, and about how an estate's working buildings fit into a designed setting. Wear good shoes for the longer woodland and shore walks, and bring a layer for the breeze off the water.
What to see
- The house with one Palladian front and one Gothic front.
- Walks along the Strangford Lough shore.
- Old Castle Ward, a tower house of about 1590 near the lough.
- The farmyard tower house of 1610, with the corn mill, saw mill and Victorian laundry.
- Landscaped grounds and woodland walks across around 820 acres.
Castle Ward through the year
- spring
- Woodland walks come into leaf, and the lough shore is lively with birds.
- summer
- Long days suit the full estate walks and the farmyard buildings.
- autumn
- Woodland colour around the house and along the lough makes for fine walks.
- winter
- A good time for bracing walks by the lough; check which buildings are open.
The story behind the garden
The land at the north end of Strangford was bought by Bernard Ward in 1570 and renamed Castle Ward. The Ward family built a series of homes on the estate: Old Castle Ward, around 1590, a tower house in 1610, and a mansion of about 1720 by Judge Michael Ward, later demolished, though some of its landscaping remains.
The present house was built in the early 1760s for Bernard Ward, later 1st Viscount Bangor. After his death the house was stripped of valuables and stood empty until 1827, when the 3rd Viscount and his descendants restored it. When the 6th Viscount died in 1950, the estate passed to the Government of Northern Ireland in lieu of death duties, and it was given to the National Trust in 1952.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Walkers, families and anyone who enjoys historic houses and water views.
- Getting there
- Castle Ward is near the village of Strangford in County Down, about seven miles from Downpatrick and one and a half miles from Strangford.
- Before you go
- The estate is large, so plan which walks you want to do. Check the National Trust page for current opening times, tickets and parking.
Source: Wikipedia: Castle Ward
Questions about visiting Castle Ward
Is Castle Ward National Trust?
Yes. Castle Ward was given to the National Trust in 1952, after the estate passed to the Government of Northern Ireland in lieu of death duties in 1950. It is now one of the Trust's main properties in County Down.
Was Game of Thrones filmed at Castle Ward?
Yes. Castle Ward was used as a filming location for Winterfell, the home of the Stark family, in the HBO television series Game of Thrones.
Why does Castle Ward have two different styles?
Bernard Ward and his wife, Lady Ann Bligh, had different tastes. The entrance front is classical Palladian and the other side is Georgian Gothic, with pointed windows and battlements, and the split continues inside the house.
How big is the Castle Ward estate?
The estate covers around 820 acres of landscaped grounds, woodland and shoreline on Strangford Lough, so there is plenty of space for long walks on paths through the woods and by the water.
Garden features
Location
Castle Ward, near Strangford, Downpatrick, County Down
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