Antrim Castle and Grounds

I did not know that Antrim had a castle, motte, walls, and a fairly extensive park. The kept that one quiet! Or maybe I just wasn’t listening…
Either way, we just so happened to stumble across the grounds, having come out the High Street side of Castle Mall (ahhh, that explains the name!) and dandered over to an interesting looking gate lodge type building. There was nothing to suggest what this area was, so we took a walk down a path, under an over-​pass (graffitied to the max), and appeared in an open green space.
I noticed a sign, and went over to look. Reference was made to a motte (so, that’s what the huge mound was in front of us…), walls (the gatelodge etc) and castle. Oooh! Where was this castle?!
Well apparently all that remains of it is a wall tower, which is really a shame, as I had been hoping for a proper, full-​sized castle. Oh well.
Unfortunately, grey clouds were looming over us, and rain was threatening, so we didn’t get much further. However, the gardens are meant to be lovely, with a canal, ponds and walks, and I would love to go back to explore these further, on a more pleasant day of course.
There is also a major regeneration project ongoing within the grounds at the minute, and into next year, so I can’t wait to see how it will look after the makeover.

The castle grounds is a lovely place to take a walk on a nice day. The castle grounds are when antrim castle was located which is unfortunately no longer there (apart from one walltower) The grouds have been regenerated in recent years and have got some fabulour flowers in the gardens. The castle grounds are available for wedding pictures etc which is a cheap alternative to more expensive surrounings. very peaceful place to clear your head.

Free access to Gardens. Charge for guided group tour.
These impressive 17^th century water gardens are one of the earliest of their kind remaining in the British Isles. The site contains many exceptional features including an ancient motte, a spectacular and unique parterre, long canal, round pond and paths through the demesne, as well as remnants of Antrim Castle.
The parterre supplied the Castle with herbs for cooking and medicinal uses. The spectacular Long Canal is divided into two sections by a limestone cascade. The narrow paths along the Canal edge are called ‘lovers paths’ as couples had to walk closely together to catch each other should they fall!
The Round Pond at the north end of the ‘Wilderness’ is an original feature of the gardens. The Motte was transformed into a magnificent ‘viewing mount’ in the early 18^th century with a corkscrew path lined on the outside with a yew hedge. The summit is accessible upon request. The Castle was erected in stages between 1610 and 1666. In 1922, the castle caught fire and was destroyed. It lay as a ruin until demolition in 1970. All that remains of the castle today is a slightly raised grassed platform and a freestanding Italian Tower.
Also one of the most haunted places in Northern ireland, with loads of ghost stories and legends. And Shanes castle is another ten minutes further up the road if you like castles and further spooky stories.
The best bit is finding all the bits of the castle that remain, like old tunnels that lead to nowhere and staircases that go nowhere. Antrim castle had an infamouse wine collection that was destroyed in the fire, and if you look about you will find the remains of the store. Close by is the Barbican gate, which is the start of the castle walls around Antrim. You can follow them along the walk. There is some superb sites to see if you dig about. Clotworthy house is a gem in the castle grounds where you can stop for a coffee, and the highly knowledgable staff will happily tell you about the legends and stories that surrounded the castle. If youare in Antrim, go. Its a small place, but dont miss the castle grounds.