Forest Park · Castle & Deer Markethill, Co. Armagh
Gosford Forest Park
A giant Norman-revival castle wrapped in woodland — with red deer, a walled garden and miles of trails, in what's said to be Northern Ireland's first forest park.
One of the biggest mock castles in the British Isles, ringed by 240 hectares of forest, red deer and old walled gardens at Markethill — said to be Northern Ireland's first forest park, and a filming spot from Game of Thrones.
What you'll see and do — the huge Gosford Castle (viewed from the grounds), the walled garden and arboretum, a herd of red deer, a rare-breed poultry collection, the Dean Swift walk, and a woodland play trail for the kids.
The trails — around 16km of multi-use trails for walking, running, cycling and horse-riding, mostly flat forest and parkland with four waymarked routes taking in the arboretum, deer park, castle and woods.
How long — allow a good half day: a castle-and-lake loop, the gardens, the deer and the play trail fill it easily. Cyclists can happily spend longer.
Getting in — it's a £5 all-day car park (a motorbike is cheaper; confirm current rates on the day), and that covers the whole park. No booking for a normal visit — you just arrive.
Bring & food — comfy shoes (trails get muddy after rain), a picnic, and cash or card for parking. Facilities are seasonal, so pack your own drinks and snacks to be sure.
Dogs — welcome on leads around the park's trails.
The castle is private apartments. You view the dramatic exterior from the grounds and trails — it isn't open inside, and it's people's homes, so don't go peering in windows.
Car park charge and seasonal facilities. There's a parking fee, hours change with the season and the café / toilets aren't always open — check current times and services before you go.
Plan your visit
Can I just turn up? Yes — it's a public forest park.
Gosford is an open council forest park — you can just arrive during opening hours, no booking. There's a parking charge of £5 a car for all-day parking (a motorbike is a little less — confirm current rates on the day), and that covers the whole demesne: the castle grounds, the walled garden, the arboretum and the trails. Opening hours shift with the season, opening earlier and closing later through the summer, so it's worth a quick check of current times before you set off.
Seasonal café / kioskToilets on siteMostly flat forest trailsPicnic spotsDogs on leads
Two to remember:
Gosford Castle is now private residential apartments — you admire the exterior from the grounds, not the inside. And facilities like the café and toilets are seasonal, so bring your own snacks and check current opening before a long drive.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Comfy shoes or welliesThe main paths are easy, but the woodland trails can be muddy after rain — grippy shoes for the little ones.
🧥A coat, whatever the sky's doingRain makes the forest glow, and there's plenty of shelter under the canopy — a light coat means the weather is never a reason to stay in.
🧺A picnicThere are grassy spots and benches around the demesne; the café and kiosk are seasonal, so pack your own to be sure.
🚲Bikes, if you have themThe 16km of multi-use trails are made for cycling, and the parkland stretches are flat and family-friendly.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
A parking charge applies: £5 a car for all-day parking, with a lower rate for motorbikes and annual passes available (confirm current rates on the day). The car ticket covers the whole park.
Hours
Open daily, with hours that change through the year — opening earlier and closing later in summer, shorter in winter. Best to confirm current times before you travel.
What you'll see
Gosford Castle (viewed from the grounds), a walled garden, an arboretum, a herd of red deer, a rare-breed poultry collection, the Dean Swift walk, a woodland play trail, and around 16km of multi-use walking, cycling and horse-riding trails across roughly 240 hectares.
The castle
Gosford Castle is a 19th-century Norman-revival mock castle, said to be one of the largest of its kind in the British Isles. It's now private residential apartments, so it isn't open to look inside — you view the striking exterior from the grounds and trails. It also stood in for Riverrun in Game of Thrones.
Food
Café and kiosk facilities are seasonal, so check whether they're open. Otherwise bring a picnic — there are grassy spots and benches around the demesne.
Toilets
Toilets on site; availability can be seasonal, so worth confirming for a quieter time of year.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome on leads around the park's trails.
Camping
Gosford has a camping and caravanning site within the park — booked separately through the site operator if you want to stay over.
How long
Allow a good half day — a castle-and-lake loop, the gardens, the deer and the play trail fill it easily, and cyclists can happily spend longer on the trails.
Questions
Before you go
Is there a charge?
There's no entry fee to walk in, but there's a parking charge — £5 a car for all-day parking (confirm current rates on the day). That ticket covers the whole park, including the castle grounds, the walled garden and the trails.
Can we go inside the castle?
No — Gosford Castle is now private residential apartments, so it isn't open to visit inside. You come for the grounds and trails, where you get a dramatic view of the exterior. As it's people's homes, please keep to the paths and don't peer in.
Is this really where they filmed Game of Thrones?
Yes — Gosford Castle stood in for Riverrun, the seat of House Tully, in Game of Thrones. You can't go inside, but the exterior you see from the grounds is the one that appeared on screen.
Can I bring a buggy or bike?
Yes — much of the park is flat forest and parkland, and there are around 16km of multi-use trails made for walking and cycling. An ordinary buggy manages the main routes; the deeper woodland paths get rougher and muddier after rain.
Will we see the deer?
There's a herd of red deer in the park, so there's a good chance — though they're wild animals with room to roam, so sightings aren't guaranteed. Keep a respectful distance and dogs on leads if you spot them.
Is there food on site?
Café and kiosk facilities are seasonal, so it's safest to bring a picnic — there are grassy spots and benches around the demesne. Check current opening if you're relying on a coffee.
Getting there
Gosford Forest Park, Markethill, County Armagh, BT60 1GD — signposted just off the main road at Markethill, a short drive south-east of Armagh city. Paid parking on site.
Gosford was the old demesne of the Earls of Gosford, and its centrepiece is the enormous castle they built in the mid-1800s. Designed in the Norman-revival style — all round towers, battlements and grey ashlar stone — it's said to be one of the largest mock castles in the British Isles, a Victorian fantasy of a mediaeval fortress rather than the real thing.
The wider estate became a public forest park in the 1950s, said to be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, and over the years the grounds filled out with an arboretum, the walled garden, the deer and the rare-breed poultry that draw families today. The castle itself has since been carefully converted into private residential apartments, so it's lived in again — and along the way it earned a second life on screen as Riverrun in Game of Thrones. The house belongs to its residents now, but the woods, the deer and the trails around it belong to everyone who comes to walk them.