View through archway of the farmyard at Castle Ward, County Down — Explore the farm on the Castle Ward farm trail | © National Trust / Peter Muhly

Castles and forts in Northern Ireland

The castles and forts in the care of the National Trust in Northern Ireland speak of sieges and centuries ceased. The old ruins at Crom help date an historic yew tree while Dunseverick Castle aligns with the footsteps of Saint Patrick himself. As the first property acquired by the National Trust in Northern Ireland, the Rough Fort was constructed in Ireland between the 7th to 9th centuries, while the Old Tower at Castle Ward became Winterfell in the TV series Game of Thrones.

Find all the best castles and forts for a great family day out.

The old Crom castle ruins break up the horizon standing against a clear blue sky

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The castle at Crom

The parkland at Crom lie beside the Upper Loch Erne, an ancient landscape including the old castle, and with diversity of habitats making it an important conservation site.

A ruined fort on top of a rocky promontory on the coast by a small inlet. The grass is green and the sky is very light blue.

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Dunseverick Castle

Dunseverick Castle on the Causeway coast in Country Antrim is a fortress site located on a rocky basalt promontory with a rich history told through recorded history as well as archaeological evidence.

An water-colour illustration of how the Rough Fort at Limavady might have once looked with round, low, thatched dwellings and cattle in fenced enclosures

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The Rough Fort

The Rough Fort was the first property in Northern Ireland to be left in care to the National Trust. It’s an Early Medieval earthwork near Limavady and was designed to protect its occupants; both people and animals.

View of the Palladian-style side of Castle Ward house, with Strangford Lough and rolling hills beyond.

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Castle Ward

Unique and unusual, this eccentric 18th-century house is famed for having been built with two completely different architectural styles, both inside and out. Find out why.