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

4.6/5 (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

lesley hanna (16 months ago)
Very well maintained, small castle. It is free to enter, and open until 4pm. It has a steep spiral staircase up onto a open walkway with views over the water and the trees to Castle Ward.

PW (2 years ago)
An interesting free to enter monument with beautiful views across Strangford Lough on a clear day. Access is up a grass hill so access isn't suitable for those with mobility issues. This is a nice place to have a picnic on a sunny and dry day. However, there aren't any seats here so you have to sit on the low wall. Just be very careful of the drop on the other side of the wall. Well worth visiting if you are in the area or visiting Castle Ward.

Yani Terzieva (2 years ago)
Beautiful! Amazing views. ? We visited on a Saturday, entry was free.

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.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Wikimedia Commons

Historic Site of the week

Château du Lude

The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.