| Location | Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland (Google Maps) |
| Open for Visitors | Yes |
| Owned by | Ards and North Down Borough Council |
| Rooms Available | Yes (Events, Wedding) |
Bangor Castle, situated in Castle Park, Bangor, Northern Ireland, was built in 1852 for The Honorable Robert Edward Ward. The charming castle is more of a mansion built in the Elizabethan- Jacobean Revival style. The castle is presently the Headquarters of Ards and North Down Borough Council, who use the grand salon of the castle as the council chamber.
History
Bangor Castle, which is known today as Town Hall, has survived both the first and the Second World War and still stands with grace and elegance. The castle belonged to Robert Edward Ward and his family from the 17th Century until their descendants sold the castle with its 155 acres of land to the local authority, the then Bangor Borough Council, in 1941. Bangor Castle and estate reopened as Town Hall in 1952 and is the headquarters of Ards and North Down Borough Council.
Architecture
The original structure on the site of Bangor Castle was an abbey founded around 558AD by St. Comgall. It was destroyed in the 9th Century by the Danes and reconstructed in 1120, after which it was occupied by Franciscan monks until the abbey was broken down in 1542. The country house on the site was designed by the Scottish architect William Burn and completed in 1852 for the Honorable Robert Edward Ward. It consisted of 35 bedrooms along with a large saloon for the purpose of ballroom/music recitals. The castle grounds included stables, a summer house, gate lodges, a cultivated walled garden, and an impressive botanical garden. The grounds also incorporated lawns where Ward’s family and friends could play popular Victorian sports like tennis and croquet.
The castle has the look of a three-story Elizabethan – Jacobean country house made from a conglomerate attached to an earlier abbey having a steeply pitched roof. The castle sits informal gardens with flower beds which have won awards for their outstanding blooms and trees around the perimeter, along with a large car park built at the front. It also includes a grand marble chapter brought all the way from Africa and an 8th-century monastic sundial.
Movie Features
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)– Bangor Castle was featured in the Episode- The North Remembers (2012) of the blockbuster series ‘Game of Thrones’ directed by Alan Taylor starring Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coaster- Waldau, Michelle Fairley.
The Old Irish Washerwoman (2014)– The Drama- Fantasy movie directed by Carleton Rodgers features snapshots of the castle and its grounds.
High Rise (2015)– The castle was featured in the Sci-fi Drama movie High Rise, directed by Ben Wheatley and starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller. The movie is about the life of the residents of a tower block when it begins to run out of control.
The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015-2017)– The castle is featured in the Crime-Drama TV series created by Barry Langford and Benjamin Ross.
“Bangor Town Hall”, by Eric Jones, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Have you visited Bangor Castle before?? If yes, please share some beautiful pictures with us!!
You can email us your pictures of the castle at castrumtocastle@gmail.com. Please use the name of the castle in the subject line.
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Debayan Dey
He is a versatile E-Learning Support Officer and former Academic Officer at the University of York, United Kingdom. Not just an expert in education and technology, Debayan also has a deep love for castles and mountains. With a passion for travel, having explored 168+ cities worldwide, and a keen eye for photography, He brings a unique blend of experiences to the table. Specializing in E-learning content, IT support, AR development, and software engineering, Debayan has made a significant impact, educating over 200,000 students on Udemy.
