Strangford Castle facts for kids

Strangford Castle, August 2009

Strangford Castle is an old castle located in Strangford, County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits high up, looking over the harbour. From here, you can see Portaferry Castle across Strangford Lough. This castle was likely first built in the 1400s (15th century). However, most of what you see today was built later, in the late 1500s (16th century). Strangford Castle is a special historic building. It is looked after by the government as a State Care Historic Monument. You can find it in the area called Strangford Lower.

Exploring Strangford Castle

Strangford Castle looks like a small tower house. A tower house is a strong, tall building often used for living and defense. Most of this castle dates from the late 1500s. But, there's a hidden doorway on the first floor that looks much older, from the 1400s. This suggests the castle was rebuilt or changed from an even older building.

Castle Entrances and Features

The main door you see today is on the north-east side. It was rebuilt to look like the original. Above this door, there's a special opening called a "machicolation." This was a hole where defenders could drop things on attackers below! There was also a strong wooden bar to lock the door from the inside. The first entrance to the castle might have been on the second floor, not the ground floor.

The castle is a small, rectangular building with three floors. It doesn't have a stone arch (vault) or a stone staircase. The floors were made of wood, just like the ones there now. On the second floor, there's a fireplace with an oven built into it. This shows people lived and cooked here.

Defense and Views

The ground floor room only has small openings. These were called "gun-loops" or "pistol-loops." They were narrow slits in the wall. Defenders could shoot small guns through them while staying safe inside.

The roof of the castle has cool "crenellations." These are the up-and-down parts of the castle wall, like teeth. They were also used for defense, with more pistol-loops for shooting. Imagine soldiers using these to protect the castle!

Gallery

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  Strangford Castle, August 2009

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  Strangford Castle, August 2009

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  Strangford Castle, August 2009