Margaret's Castle facts for kids
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Margaret's Castle is a cool old building in Ardglass, a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It's a small, strong house called a tower house. It was probably built a long, long time ago, in the 1400s!
Contents
Discovering Margaret's Castle
What is a Tower House?
A tower house is like a mini-castle. It's a tall, strong building that families used to live in and protect themselves. Margaret's Castle is one of these. It was built to be a safe home.
Only two floors of Margaret's Castle are still standing today. But experts think it used to be at least three floors high. Imagine how tall it must have been!
Exploring the Castle's Features
This tower house has some interesting features. The ground floor has a strong, arched ceiling called a vault. This made the building very sturdy.
The castle is shaped like a rectangle. It has special round parts sticking out from its north-west wall. These are called turrets. They were like small towers on the main tower.
Secret Defenses
Between these turrets, there was a doorway. This doorway had a clever defense system. Above it was a murder-hole. This was a small opening in the ceiling. Defenders could drop things through it onto anyone trying to break in.
Inside the west turret, there's a spiral staircase. This winding stairway goes up through the castle. It would have led to the upper floors.
Ardglass: A Village of Castles
Ardglass is a village with a rich history. It was once a very important place. Because of this, it had many castles.
Margaret's Castle is just one of them. Ardglass had at least six castles! Today, you can still see parts of four of them. These include Ardglass Castle, Cowd Castle, Margaret's Castle, and Jordan's Castle. It's like a village full of history!
Where is Margaret's Castle Located?
Margaret's Castle is in the area called Ardglass. This area is part of the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. You can find it using a special map code: J5603 3703.
This castle is also a Scheduled Historic Monument. This means it's a very important historical site. The government protects it so people can learn from it for many years to come.
