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The Great Britain Guide

Castles · Northern Ireland

Belfast Castle

Also known as: Caisleán Bhéal Feirste

Victorian♿ Wheelchair: limited

Belfast Castle — mansion in Cavehill country Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Belfast Castle, castles in Northern Ireland

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
York Street · 3.8 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Belfast Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1879. Designed by Charles Lanyon. Built in the Scottish baronial architecture style. Heritage designation: Grade A listed building. Address: BT15 5GR. Wikidata describes it as: "mansion in Cavehill country Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland". Coordinates: 54.6427°, -5.9423°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Belfast Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhéal Feirste) is a mansion located in Cave Hill Country Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a prominent position 400 feet (120 m) above sea level. Its location provides unobstructed views over the City of Belfast and Belfast Lough. There have been several structures called "Belfast Castle" over the centuries, located on different sites. The current "castle" is a Victorian structure that was built between 1867 and 1870 on the slopes of Cave Hill, and it is Grade A listed. The main entrance into the Belfast Castle Demesne is now where Innisfayle Park meets Downview Park West, just off the Antrim Road (part of the A6). The original main entrance into the current demesne was formerly on the Antrim Road itself, where Strathmore Park now meets the Antrim Road.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

Since the construction of the current Belfast Castle in the late 1860s, its sandstone walls and towers have been restored. The castle was designed and built in the Victorian version of the Scots Baronial style, which was an architectural style that originally developed out of French-inspired Gothic styles during the Renaissance in Scotland in the sixteenth century. Scots Baronial style castles were typically built on asymmetrical plans and included high roofs, towers, and turrets to display the owner's status. The new Belfast Castle was constructed in the late 1860s using pink Scrabo sandstone from near Newtownards in the north of County Down, along with Giffnock sandstone dressings from…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
54.6427, -5.9423
District
Belfast
Postcode
BT15 5GR
Parliamentary constituency
Belfast North
Established
1879
Nearest railway station
York Street3.8 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Belfast Castle?
Belfast Castle is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (postcode BT15 5GR).
When was Belfast Castle built?
Built or established in 1879. Designed by Charles Lanyon.
Who owns Belfast Castle?
Belfast Castle is owned by Belfast City Council.
Is Belfast Castle a listed building?
Belfast Castle is officially recognised as Grade A listed building listed.
Does Belfast Castle charge admission?
Belfast Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
How do I get to Belfast Castle?
The nearest railway station is York Street, about 3.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BT15 5GR.