Sketrick Castle

Newtownards, United Kingdom

Sketrick Castle castle dates from the late 12th century. In the 14th century it was acquired by Sir Robert Savage. The Annals of the Four Masters record the capture of the castle in 1470 by an army led by the O'Neill to assist the MacQuillans. They took the castle and it was given to MacQuillan for safe keeping. It was intact until 1896 when a storm demolished much of it.

Sketrick Castle was four storeys high, with a boat bay and a stone subterranean passage discovered in 1957. It had four chambers at ground level, the largest with a vault constructed on wicker centring, as well as two brick-lined recesses, probably ovens. It has lintels running under the bawn wall to a chamber with a corbel over a fresh water spring. Parts of the bawn wall still survive to the north and east of the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Sketrick Island 1, Newtownards, United Kingdom

See all sites in Newtownards

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Nendrum Monastery (1,1 km)
Mahee Castle (1,4 km)

Belfast City Hall (21,8 km)
St. Anne's Cathedral (22,1 km)
Albert Memorial Clock (21,8 km)
Grand Opera House (22 km)
Carrickfergus Castle (27 km)
Ulster Museum (21,3 km)
Belfast Castle (25,6 km)
Botanic Gardens of Belfast (21 km)
Parliament Building of Belfast (17,6 km)

User Reviews

Lynsey Richards (2 years ago)
Great little spot for a nosey around an interesting ruin, parking at the front available but limited and right beside a coffee spot. Picnic area about a 10 minutes walk away with amenities too.

Alicia Mc Evoy (2 years ago)
Beautiful spot on Sketrick Island.cant drive around the island as the roads are private . Not much to the castle itself but it's situated in the beautiful white rock bay which is worth a visit. Beautiful area

RUTH BROWNE (2 years ago)
We went on an Spring afternoon the scenery was beautiful. It was like a summers day. Stopped at Daft Eddy's had a coffee and my daughter had a a brioche nap with sausage and hash brown very impressed. Lovely walk round to Strangford Sailing Club.

Gary Henderson (2 years ago)
It's a fenced off, old, ruined castle, how good or bad can it be! Nice walks the area, nice views of the Lough, but these have nothing to do with the castle..

Dermot Giles (3 years ago)
The Castle was glourious beautiful sunshine people were 2 metres apart out on grass lawn very merry atmosphere

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Timeless Treasures of Wales

Gothic Cathedrals of Belgium

Migthy Cathar Castles

Photo from Flickr, copyright AirphixTwin

Historic Site of the week

Kristiansten Fortress

Kristiansten Fortress was built to protect the city against attack from the east. Construction was finished in 1685. General Johan Caspar von Cicignon, who was chief inspector of kuks fortifications, was responsible for the new town plan of Trondheim after the great fire of 18 April 1681. He also made the plans for the construction of Kristiansten Fortress.

The fortress was built during the period from 1682 to 1684 and strengthened to a complete defence fortification in 1691 by building an advanced post Kristiandsands bastion in the east and in 1695 with the now vanished Møllenberg skanse by the river Nidelven. These fortifications were encircled by a continuous palisade and thereby connected to the fortified city. In 1750 the fortress was modernized with new bastions and casemates to protect against mortar artillery.