Drive in off Strangford Lough and the first thing you'll want to find is the farmyard — the cluster of stone buildings around a courtyard that Game of Thrones fans will recognise in a heartbeat as Winterfell, the Stark family home. It's the real thing: the tower house, the archway, the cobbles where the Stark children learned to shoot. In season you can pick up a bow and loose a few arrows yourself in that same courtyard, with the archery run separately by Winterfell Tours (booked ahead, seasonal) — a small, brilliant thrill for anyone who watched the show.
Then there's the house itself, and it's a genuine oddity. Walk round it and one side is elegant, symmetrical Classical; the other is all pointed Gothic windows and battlements. The story goes that Lord and Lady Bangor couldn't agree on a style, so they built one of each and met in the middle — his taste at the front, hers at the back. You can go inside on a guided or self-guided house tour (check the day — the house keeps shorter hours than the grounds), and there's a Victorian laundry and the Old Castle Ward tower house to nose around too.
Beyond the buildings, the estate just opens out: 820 acres of woodland and lough-shore, with trails threading down to the water, a play area for the children, and cycle hire if you'd rather roll than walk. The grounds are yours to wander any day of the year; the house and the Game of Thrones extras are the bookable bits. Give it half a day if you're here for Winterfell and a walk — a full one if you're doing the house, the archery and a proper loop by the lough.
Plan your visit
Grounds any day, house by tour, Winterfell booked separately
The estate, gardens and woodland are open all year — grounds hours run roughly 10am–8pm April to September, 10am–4pm October to March, with the shop, bookshop and tea-room open 11am–4pm daily. The house is separate: it runs guided tours on the hour on some weekdays (from 11am, last tour 3pm) and self-guided at weekends, with fewer days over winter — so check the day before you set your heart on getting inside. National Trust members get in free; non-members pay at the gate (recent guide prices were around £13.20 adult and £6.60 child — confirm on the day). The Game of Thrones archery in the farmyard is run by Winterfell Tours, booked separately and seasonal.
Tea-room & shopToilets on siteCycle hirePlay area & trailsDogs on leads
Two to check before you go:
The house runs on limited days and keeps shorter hours than the grounds, especially in winter. And the Game of Thrones archery is booked directly with Winterfell Tours, not the National Trust — sort it in advance if it's the reason you're coming. Times change, so confirm on the day.
Before you set off
What to wear and bring
🥾Proper walking shoesThe lough-shore and woodland trails are earth and gravel — comfy shoes make the whole 820 acres yours.
🧥A coat, whatever the skyRain on the lough is its own kind of lovely, and the light on the water after a shower is gorgeous — come ready to enjoy either.
🏹Booked your archery?If Winterfell is the pull, sort the archery with Winterfell Tours before you arrive — it's seasonal and runs on set dates.
🧺A picnic if you likeThere's a tea-room and shop for a scone and a cuppa, but the grounds are made for spreading a blanket by the water.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
National Trust members free. Non-members pay at the gate — recent published prices were around £13.20 adult and £6.60 child, with family and off-peak rates too; confirm the current price on the day. The Game of Thrones archery is a separate paid experience booked with Winterfell Tours.
Grounds hours
Estate, gardens and woodland open all year, roughly 10am–8pm April to September and 10am–4pm October to March. Shop, bookshop and tea-room 11am–4pm daily. Confirm on the day.
The house
Open on limited days and shorter hours than the grounds — guided tours on the hour on some weekdays (from 11am, last tour 3pm) and self-guided at weekends, with reduced opening in winter. Check before you travel if going inside matters.
What you'll see
The Winterfell farmyard and tower house, the half-Classical half-Gothic mansion, the Victorian laundry, the Old Castle Ward tower house, woodland and lough-shore trails, a children's play area and cycle hire.
Food
A tea-room and shop on site (11am–4pm) for hot drinks, scones and light bites. Plenty of room for your own picnic across the grounds.
Toilets
Toilets on site at the visitor facilities.
Dogs
Dogs welcome on leads around the grounds — a lovely walk for them by the lough.
Parking
Free parking on site; follow the brown signs for Castle Ward.
How long
Half a day for Winterfell and a walk; a full day if you're adding the house, the archery and a longer loop by the water.
Questions
Before you go
Is this really the Winterfell from Game of Thrones?
Yes — the stone farmyard at Castle Ward is where the Winterfell courtyard scenes were filmed, tower house and all. You can walk right into it, and in season have a go at archery in the very same courtyard.
Do I have to pay if I'm a National Trust member?
No — members get in free. Non-members pay at the gate (recent prices were around £13.20 adult, £6.60 child, with family and off-peak rates); confirm the current figure on the day.
Can I go inside the house?
Yes, but on limited days and shorter hours than the grounds — guided tours on some weekdays and self-guided at weekends, less in winter. The grounds, though, are open every day of the year.
How do I book the archery?
The Game of Thrones archery is run separately by Winterfell Tours, not the National Trust, and it's seasonal — book directly with them before you come if it's the reason for your trip.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome on leads around the estate, and the lough-shore trails make for a great walk together.
Is there somewhere to eat?
There's a tea-room and shop for scones, hot drinks and light bites, and the grounds are perfect for spreading out your own picnic.
Getting there
Park Road, Strangford, Downpatrick, County Down, BT30 7BA — on the shore of Strangford Lough, just outside Strangford village, with free parking on site. Follow the brown signs for Castle Ward.
Castle Ward was built in the 1760s for Bernard Ward, later Lord Bangor, and his wife Lady Anne. The story goes that the couple's tastes were so far apart they simply built both: the entrance front is calm, symmetrical Classical, and the garden front is all Gothic points and battlements — one house wearing two faces, which is exactly the surprise that greets you when you walk around it. Inside, the rooms carry the same split personality, right down to the ceilings.
The National Trust has cared for the 820-acre estate since the 1950s, keeping the mansion, the Victorian laundry and the old tower house alongside the woodland and the miles of Strangford Lough shoreline. Then in the 2010s the stone farmyard found a second life as Winterfell, the Stark stronghold in Game of Thrones — and a quiet Down estate became a place fans travel from all over the world to stand in. Come for the show, stay for the water, the walks and one very indecisive house.