Castle Ward Facts for Kids

This page is about the castle in Northern Ireland. For the Castle electoral ward in Swansea, see Castle, Swansea. For Ward's Castle in Rye Brook, New York, see William E. Ward House. For the district of Northumberland, see Castle Ward Rural District.

Quick facts for kids Castle Ward
Castle Ward Classical (south-west) Facade, September 2014
Built	early 1760s
Built for	The 1st Viscount Bangor
Architect	not known, possibly James Bridges of Bristol
Owner	National Trust
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Castle Ward is a super interesting place in Northern Ireland. It's an old house from the 1700s, looked after by the National Trust. You can find it near the village of Strangford in County Down. It sits right by Strangford Lough, which is a big body of water. The house is about 7 miles from Downpatrick.

Today, Castle Ward is open for everyone to visit! It has huge gardens, covering about 820 acres. You can explore an old tower house, a Victorian laundry, and even a theatre. There's also a restaurant and a shop. You can see a saw mill and a working corn mill. It even has its own shore along Strangford Lough. For many years, it was also home to a summer opera festival called Castleward Opera.

What Makes Castle Ward Special?
- A House with Two Faces
- The Old Tower House
The Story of Castle Ward
Images for kids
See also

What Makes Castle Ward Special?

A House with Two Faces

The coolest thing about Castle Ward is its unique design. It looks like two different houses joined together! This is because the owners, Lord Bangor and his wife, Lady Ann Bligh, had very different tastes.

One side of the house is built in a fancy Palladian style. This means it has tall columns and a triangular shape above the entrance. It looks very grand and classical.

But if you go to the other side, it's totally different! This side is in a Georgian Gothic style. It has pointed windows, battlements like a castle, and decorative spires called finials. This mix of styles continues inside the house too, with each half looking unique.

Old Castle Ward

The Old Tower House

In the farmyard of the estate, there's an even older building. It's a tower house that was built way back in 1610. It was put there by Nicholas Ward to help defend the area. It's a great example of how people built strong homes long ago.

The Story of Castle Ward

Early Days and New Names

The land where Castle Ward stands was once called Carrick na Sheannagh. This is an Irish name that means "rock of the foxes." The Earls of Kildare used to own it.

In 1570, a man named Bernard Ward bought the land. He was the father of Sir Robert Ward, who was an important surveyor in Ireland. Bernard Ward decided to rename the area "Castle Ward." The big walled estate, which is about 850 acres, also dates back to the 1500s.

The Ward family built several homes on their land over the years. An older house, called Old Castle Ward, was built around 1590. It's still standing near Strangford Lough today. Another large house was built around 1720 by Judge Michael Ward. But this house was taken down around 1850. Some of the beautiful gardens from that time are still there.

Building the Current Castle Ward

The house you see today was built in the early 1760s. It was made for Judge Michael Ward's son, Bernard Ward. We don't know for sure who the architect was. Some people think it might have been James Bridges. He was an architect from Bristol, England, and his work looks a bit like Castle Ward.

Bernard Ward became a very important person. In 1770, he was given the title of The 1st Baron Bangor. Later, in 1781, he became The 1st Viscount Bangor. These were special titles given by the King.

Changes Over Time

After the 1st Viscount Bangor passed away in 1781, his oldest son, Nicholas, inherited the property. Nicholas was not well and needed a lot of care.

When his younger brother, Edward, died in 1812, another brother, Robert, took charge. Robert moved Nicholas to a smaller house. He also took many valuable things from Castle Ward. The house was left empty for a while.

In 1827, Nicholas passed away. Edward's son, who became the 3rd Viscount, then inherited Castle Ward. He and the people who came after him worked hard to fix up the house and bring back its furniture.

In 1950, the 6th Viscount passed away. The house and its estate were then given to the Government of Northern Ireland. In 1952, they gave the house and its beautiful gardens to the National Trust. This means it can be enjoyed by everyone for many years to come.