Castle Ward is an 18th century National Trust

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...

 property located near the village of Strangford

Strangford

Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...

, in County Down

County Down

-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It overlooks Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...

 and is 7 miles from Downpatrick

Downpatrick

Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...

 and 1.5 miles from Strangford.

Castle Ward is open to the public and includes landscaped gardens, a fortified tower house

Tower house

A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...

, Victorian laundry, theatre, restaurant, shop, saw mill and a working corn mill. From 1985 to 2010 it has also hosted Castleward Opera

Castleward Opera

Castleward Opera was a Northern Ireland opera company which staged an annual opera festival at Castle Ward, a National Trust House near Strangford in County Down. It was founded in 1985 by Ian Urwin and Jack Smith, with performances taking place in a converted stable on the grounds of the castle...

, an annual summer opera festival.

Features

The most interesting aspect of Castle Ward, built in the 1760s, is that of its dual architecture, reflecting the differing tastes of Lord Bangor and his wife. While the entrance side of the building is done in a classical Palladian

Palladian architecture

Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...

 style with columns supporting a triangular pediment

Pediment

A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...

, the opposite side is Georgian Gothick

Gothic Revival architecture

The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

 with pointed windows, battlements and finial

Finial

The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...

s. This differences in style continue throughout the interior of the house with the divide down the centre.

History

The architect of Castle Ward is unknown, although he may have come from the Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

 area, with which the Ward family had close ties. It may have been James Bridges

James Bridges (architect)

James Bridges was an architect and civil engineer working in Bristol between 1757 and 1763. He was the son of Henry Bridges, an Essex carpenter and clockmaker and famous for his Microcosm...

 who practiced in Bristol between 1757 and 1763 and whose work there has some similarity to Castle Ward.

The Troubles

• 10 February 1973 - Leonard O'Hanlon (23) and Vivienne Fitzsimmons (17), both members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
  Provisional Irish Republican Army
  The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
  
  , were killed in a premature bomb explosion in the grounds of Castle Ward estate.

External links

• Castle Ward - official site at National Trust
• Virtual Tour of Castle Ward Northern Ireland - Virtual Visit Northern Ireland