Gosford Castle facts for kids
Gosford Castle is a large, old house built in the 1800s. It's located in a place called Gosford, near Markethill in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. This amazing castle was built for The 2nd Earl of Gosford. A London architect named Thomas Hopper designed it. He used a special style called "Norman revival."
Gosford Castle is considered a very important historic building. It is said to be the biggest of its kind in Ulster. The Acheson family, who were the Earls of Gosford, lived in the castle until 1921. Later, the government bought the land. They turned the estate into Gosford Forest Park. The castle itself became quite run down over time. In 2006, it was sold to a company. They changed the castle into several private homes.
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History of Gosford Castle
The Acheson family received land in County Armagh in 1610. This was at the start of the Plantation of Ulster, when new settlers came to Ireland. They created the village of Markethill. They also built an earlier castle. However, this first castle was destroyed during the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
A manor house was built in its place. The Acheson family lived there until 1840. The famous writer Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) even visited Gosford. He helped plan the gardens there.
Building the Castle
In 1819, The 2nd Earl of Gosford decided to build a new house. He asked Thomas Hopper (1776–1856) to design it. Hopper chose the Norman revival style for the castle. This was his first time using this style. He later became very good at it, like with Penrhyn Castle in Wales. A local architect named Thomas Duff helped Hopper.
The castle was not finished quickly. In 1837, it was still being built. It was finally completed in 1859. Hopper's assistant, George Adam Burn, rebuilt the front entrance.
Later Years and New Uses
The 4th Earl of Gosford (1841-1922) had to sell everything inside the castle in 1920. After he passed away in 1922, the Acheson family no longer lived there.
During the Second World War, Gosford Castle was used by soldiers. There was also a camp for prisoners of war on the estate. After the war, the Acheson family sold the land. The Ministry of Agriculture bought it. They turned the large 240 hectares (590 acres) estate into Gosford Forest Park.
The castle itself was used to store public records. In the 1970s, it became a barracks for soldiers. In 1983, it opened as a hotel. But the hotel did not do well. The people running it let the building fall into disrepair.
Images for kids
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South front of the castle
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Gosford para niños
