Audley's Castle

Audley's Castle is a three-storey tower house dating to the 15th century, perched on a rocky outcrop roughly 1.6 km northeast of the village of Strangford in County Down, Northern Ireland. The structure takes its name from John Audley, its 16th-century owner, and is considered one of the better-preserved examples of an Irish tower house in the region. Both the tower and a section of the bawn — a defensive courtyard wall used to shelter livestock and household staff — survive, and the complex is protected as a State Care Historic Monument. Its elevated position above Strangford Lough, a tidal inlet of remarkable natural character, gives the site an unobstructed panoramic quality. Visitors today reach it through open farmland with the lough stretching out below.