Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandDownMargaret's castle. tower-house
LATE-MED · FORTIFICATION

Margaret's castle. tower-house

Down, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 8573
Period
LATE-MED
Site type
FORTIFICATION
Nation
Northern Ireland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Margaret's Castle is a late medieval tower-house located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The structure represents a characteristic form of fortified domestic architecture that emerged in Ireland during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when landholding families constructed compact, defensible towers as both residences and symbols of territorial control. Tower-houses of this period typically comprised a rectangular or square stone keep of three to four storeys, designed to provide secure accommodation and refuge during periods of unrest. The monument survives as an important example of late medieval fortification practices in Ulster and contributes to the archaeological record of domestic architecture and settlement patterns during the transition from medieval to early modern Ireland.

Margaret's castle. tower-house is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8573. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Margaret's castle. tower-house?

Margaret's Castle is a late medieval tower-house located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8573.

What period does Margaret's castle. tower-house date from?

Margaret's castle. tower-house dates from the late-med period, and is classified as a fortification. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Margaret's castle. tower-house?

Margaret's castle. tower-house is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 8573.

What other scheduled monuments are near Margaret's castle. tower-house?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newark & horn castle, adrglass castle. tower-house, merchants stores & c18th castle (0.1 km), Souterrain (1.1 km), Coney island pier. coney island pier, part of killough harbour (1.9 km).

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