Castle Ward
An eighteenth-century National Trust mansion on Strangford Lough, with a classical front and a Gothic rear, servants' quarters, gardens and miles of trails.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Castle Ward lies on the shore of Strangford Lough in County Down. The Ward family, who came from Cheshire, settled here in the late sixteenth century, and around 1600 they built the tower house now known as Old Castle Ward. Over the next two centuries they expanded their land, built up business interests, and laid out gardens and landscapes. A series of terraces beside the tower house is the only surviving part of the earliest gardens.
The present mansion was begun in 1762 for Bernard Ward, later Viscount Bangor, and his wife Lady Anne. It is well known as a house of contrasts: the entrance front is classical and Palladian, while the rear is Gothic, with pointed windows and battlements. Tradition says this reflects a difference in taste between husband and wife, and the interiors follow the same split. Servants lived and worked in the laundry, dairy and stables, and at its peak the house gave employment to around forty staff.
The estate passed to the Government of Northern Ireland in 1950 in lieu of death duties and was given to the National Trust in 1952. Visitors can now tour the Georgian rooms and the servants' areas, walk through the sunken garden and the pleasure grounds, and follow trails round the demesne, which includes the ruined Audley's Castle. The farmyard became familiar to television audiences as a filming location for Winterfell in Game of Thrones.
Highlights
- Mansion with a classical Palladian front and a Gothic rear
- Georgian interiors with unusual objects such as the Kodiak bear and the boxing squirrels
- Servants' quarters: laundry, dairy and stables
- Sunken garden, Temple Water and pleasure grounds
- Farmyard used as Winterfell in Game of Thrones
- Miles of estate trails, Audley's Castle and adventure play parks
Permanent exhibitions
- The mansion – Georgian rooms with classical and Gothic interiors, plus the servants' quarters, laundry, dairy and stables.
- Garden and pleasure grounds – A sunken garden restored from an 1864 painting by Mary Ward, with historic pleasure grounds and Temple Water.
- Estate trails – Trails for walkers, cyclists and riders through woodland and along the lough shore, with views of Audley's Castle.
- Founded
- 1760
- Operated by
- National Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £15 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £7.50free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 17; under-5s are free. |
| Groups (15+ people) | £14.25 per personAdult group price per person for groups of 15 or more booked in advance; the child group price is £7. Guided tours for groups cost extra and must be pre-booked. |
| Families | £37.50Two adults and up to three children. A ticket for one adult and up to three children costs £22.50. |
| Off-peak adult (Tuesdays and Wednesdays during house closure periods) | £12Without Gift Aid. |
| Off-peak child (5 to 17) | £6Without Gift Aid. |
| Off-peak family (2 adults and up to 3 children) | £30Without Gift Aid; a one-adult family ticket costs £18. |
Prices are standard admission without Gift Aid (valid from 1 March 2026); tickets with Gift Aid cost about 10 per cent more (adult £16.50, child £8.30, family £41.30). Off-peak prices apply on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on days when the house is closed to visitors, and during the seasonal house closure from November to March. In autumn 2026 the house is closed on Tuesdays only and opens on Wednesdays for guided tours. Entry is free for National Trust members.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Wheelchairs and a powered mobility vehicle are available, together with sensory backpacks, and the property has an accessible route map and accessible toilets. There are steps and uneven ground in places, and the AccessAble guide gives a full access overview. Blue Badge parking is available. Visitors with specific requirements are invited to email or phone the property in advance.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £37.50 · Two adults and up to three children. A ticket for one adult and up to three children costs £22.50. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Playground / play area
Woodland and adventure play parks are open daily. Explorer bags with toys, books and activities and calm bags with fidget toys can be borrowed from Reception, and children's and family bikes can be hired. Seasonal trails are held in school holidays, and under-5s enter free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Castle Ward gates (bus stop)
A Translink bus runs between Downpatrick and Strangford and stops at the property gates; check the Translink timetable. A ferry crosses from Portaferry to Strangford, and the house is a short walk from the nearest bus stop.
By car
Parking available
On-site car park with Blue Badge parking available.
- Accessible parking
Castle Ward is 7 miles north-east of Downpatrick and 1 mile from Strangford on the A25. Use the postcode BT30 7BA and follow the signs for Castle Ward only; the property cannot be reached via the Audleystown road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Stableyard tea-room serving hot and cold food and drinks (dogs welcome), a gift shop in the stableyard and a second-hand bookshop. Bikes can be hired from Reception.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided house tours run on set weekdays in autumn and are subject to volunteer availability; weekend visits to the house are self-guided. Dogs on leads are welcome in the wider estate and in the tea-room. |
