Crom Castle facts for kids
Crom Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Croime) is situated on the shores of the Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and set within a 1,900-acre (7.7 km2) estate. The Castle is built of grey stone with the main part of the building and wings being over two floors. The entrance is a battlemented tower with smaller towers to one side. The castle has formal gardens which reach out to the estate and parkland beyond. The ruins of Old Crom Castle can be found within the estate although now only part of the original walls, two towers and a ha-ha; a deep ditch which gives an optical illusion of not being there. There are also two of the oldest yew trees in Ireland inside the Old Castle grounds, believed to be over 800 years old.
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History
Like many Ulster country estates, the first house at Crom was built by a Scottish Planter at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1611, as part of the Plantation of Ulster, Michael Balfour, the Laird of Mountwhinney, constructed a house on the lough shore opposite Inishfendra Island. Following the usual pattern for a Plantation castle, the Old Castle at Crom was built of lime and stone and enclosed within a bawn.
In 1689 the Old Crom Castle survived two Jacobite sieges during the Williamite War in Ireland. The Crichton family under Colonel Abraham Crichton held out against the Jacobites until reinforcements from Enniskillen arrived. The local events concluded at the Battle of Newtownbutler when a Williamite force of less than 1500 Enniskillen troops captured and killed as many as 3000 of James II’s troops. The battle took place at the townland of Kilgarrett 1 mile south of Newtownbutler.
In 1764 the Old Castle was destroyed by a domestic fire. Then in 1840 the present day Crom Castle was built, designed by English architect Edward Blore who was responsible for sections of Buckingham Palace. It remains the privately owned property of the Earl of Erne and is only accessible to the public through private booking. The estate was given to the National Trust to manage by The 6th Earl of Erne (often known as Harry Erne) in 1987.
Crom Estate was the location of a great Classic yacht and steamboat regatta in August 2010 when the races of the 1890s were recreated in Trial bay using Norfork Broads One-Designs (brown boats), Lough Erne Fairies, Fife One Designs from Anglesea, and a pair of Colleens. Racing took place on Upper Lough Erne within sight of the castle, and the boats moored each evening off the boathouse in Crom Bay.
Boathouse
The Castles boathouse was built on the shore of Lough Erne below the main castle. As mentioned the castle was originally designed by Blore but was damaged by fire in 1841 and subsequently rebuilt by George Sudden including the boathouse. The boathouse is in a Tudor style, with graceful arches at ground level, and a fine window on the upstairs room overlooking a terrace and the lake. Before modern roads and motor vehicle transport one of the most common ways to travel in County Fermanagh was via boat on Lough Erne. Croms boathouse therefore was an important asset, often where guests would arrive and make their way from the lough shore to the Castle. For a time, it was the home of Erne Yacht Club. Today the boathouse lies empty and unused, with the jetty still in use by the Earl of Erne for his boats.
The West Wing
The castle is privately owned by the Crichton family, Earls of Erne, but it is now possible for the public to fully experience the magic of this beautiful place by staying in Crom Castles West Wing. The West Wing is available to rent all year round on a weekly or long weekend basis for groups of up to 19 people. Whether you are seeking creative inspiration, planning a corporate event or a family holiday the West Wing can cater for such needs. The stay can be tailored for a self-catering let, or fully staffed including a cook depending on your requirements. The West Wing includes an elegant drawing room that catches the evening sun and opens onto the terrace with access to the lake beyond. It hosts a dining room as well as a large Victorian conservatory which is ideal for larger scale entertaining of up to 65 people.
Gallery
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U.S. troops outside Crom Castle during World War II
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The ruins of the Old Crom Castle.
Images for kids
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Crom Castle Orange Lodge 1219
