Old Castle Ward

Old Castle Ward is part of the wider Castle Ward estate near Strangford in County Down, Northern Ireland. The estate sits beside Strangford Lough and includes an 18th-century mansion, historic farmyard, old tower house, woodland, shoreline and open demesne landscape. The contrast between the Georgian estate, older defensive structures and the loughside scenery gives the area a strong medieval atmosphere on screen, even though the main Castle Ward house itself is much later. This mixture of old stone buildings, courtyards, fields and water made it one of the most important Northern Ireland locations for fantasy filmmaking.

Old Castle Ward and the surrounding Castle Ward estate are best known from Game of Thrones (2011–2019), where the historic farmyard and nearby areas stood in for Winterfell and other locations connected to House Stark. The wider estate has also been used in productions such as “Your Highness” (2011) and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves” (2023), both of which made use of Northern Ireland’s castle and fantasy-friendly landscapes.

In “Game of Thrones” (2011–2019), Old Castle Ward and the Castle Ward estate were used for Winterfell, the ancestral home of House Stark. The historic farmyard became one of the show’s most recognisable early locations, including the courtyard and archery range where the Stark children practise in the first season. Other areas of the estate were used for locations such as Robb Stark’s camp, the Whispering Wood and scenes connected to The Twins. Because the Winterfell material is so central to the first season, Castle Ward became one of the key “Game of Thrones” locations in Northern Ireland.

In “Your Highness” (2011), Castle Ward was used as part of the film’s fantasy landscape. The comedy was filmed around several Northern Ireland locations, using castles, forests and dramatic scenery to create its fictional medieval kingdom. Castle Ward’s old stone structures and demesne setting fit the film’s deliberately exaggerated sword-and-sorcery world, giving the production a real historic backdrop beneath the comedy.

In “Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves” (2023), Castle Ward is one of the Northern Ireland locations connected to the film’s fantasy world. As with “Game of Thrones” (2011–2019), the estate works well because it can suggest older kingdoms, fortifications and landscapes without needing to be heavily modernised or disguised. The location’s stone architecture and open grounds make it a natural fit for a story built around quests, magic and medieval-style adventure.

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