Audley's Castle

Audley's Castle is a three-storey tower house named after its 16th century owner, John Audley.

There are thousands of small stone towers similar to Audley's Castle in the Irish countryside. They are one of the commonest of archaeological sites, which indicates these were not buildings put up for the higher aristocracy, but for lesser lords and gentry. Most were built in the late Middle Ages (roughly 1350–1550). Audley's was built towards the end of this period.

There is very little historical information about the buildings in the small courtyard around Audley's. Only a minority of towers had courtyard walls at all, and their buildings were clearly less important than the tower. The towers in different parts of the country vary, with distinct regional patterns. Audley's with its two turrets linked by an arch is one of a type found in County Down only.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Park Road 4, Downpatrick, United Kingdom

See all sites in Downpatrick

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Portaferry Castle (1,5 km)
Strangford Castle (1,3 km)
Castle Ward (1,4 km)
Killyleagh Castle (5,9 km)
Kilclief Castle (5,2 km)
Audleystown Court Cairn (1,6 km)
Quintin Castle (5,4 km)

Belfast City Hall (33,4 km)
St. Anne's Cathedral (33,9 km)
Albert Memorial Clock (33,5 km)
Grand Opera House (33,5 km)
Carrickfergus Castle (40,1 km)
Ulster Museum (32,5 km)
Belfast Castle (37,8 km)
Botanic Gardens of Belfast (32,3 km)
Parliament Building of Belfast (30,2 km)

User Reviews

Shannen Murray (3 years ago)
Stunning views. Lovely picnic spot. Bit of a walk if parking at Castleward but worth it!

Aaron Coey (3 years ago)
Beautiful views over Strangford Lough towards Portaferry. Standing on top of a hill and surrounded by a field it is not wheelchair accessible but as a disabled person myself it is still accessible.

Neil Anderson (3 years ago)
Lovely views over Stangford Lough and towards Portaferry. It's Game of Thrones location if you are into the TV show. Battle of Oxcross, season 2.

Josephine Hynes (3 years ago)
Very nice walks of varying lengths but note House and Winterfell experience is only open at weekends

Chris (3 years ago)
The most beautiful place on a sunny day, the views are some of the best about. Really peaceful and relaxing spot.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Kakesbeck Castle

Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.

The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.