Castle Ward's park contains many enchanting historical garden features. The Temple Water is an early eighteenth-century formal canal created to reflect the picturesque ruins of Audley Castle at one end and Lady Anne's Temple (1755-60) alone one side. The Sunken Garden, with its grass terraces and Irish yews, is planted with tender shrubs, cordylines and dwarf fan palms to enhance its exotic Victorian air. The Rock Garden features dwarf conifers on a natural outcrop. A small aboretum and a lime avenue, carpeted with bluebells in Spring, complete Castle Ward's 40 acres of garden.
Amid parkland running down to the shores of Strangford Lough stands one of Europe's most unusual houses. One half of the house, both inside and out, is built in the classical style while the other half, the garden front and the rooms facing the lough, is in the gothic style!

Opening Hours:
Grounds open Oct-April: 10am-4pm daily. May-Sept: 10am-8pm daily.
House and Wildlife Centre open 12 March-April: 1-6pm weekends and bank hols/public hols (incl. 25 March-1 April).
May: 1-6pm daily (except Tues.). June-Aug: 1-6 pm daily.
Sept-Oct: 1-6pm weekends. Entrance charge. Last tour 1 hr before closing.

Location:
Strangford, Co Down.