Portaferry Castle

Portaferry Castle lies in the village of Portaferry, in County Down, in Northern Ireland.

Portaferry Castle was built in the early 16th century, probably by the Savage family. It is a square, 3-storey tower house with an attic and no vault. It has an L-shaped turret at the southeast angle which contains the entrance on the ground floor. The entrance is protected by a machicolation. And in this turret a stairway leads up immediately to the main first-floor chamber, which is defended by a murder hole in the room above. Access to the upper floors was gained by a spiral staircase within the walls in the west corner. Most of the eastern corner is ruinous.

In 1635 Portaferry Castle was repaired by Patrick Savage's brother-in-law, Sir James Montgomery of Rosemount, by roofing and flooring it so that his sister could live in greater comfort in it.

A nice ruin which you can access although there isn't very much to see inside. There is a tourist information and visitor centre in the former stables in front of the castle.

Across from the village of Portaferry, on the other side of the mouth of Strangford Lough, lies the village of Strangford, with Strangford Castle.

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