A long, low, whitewashed cottage with a sweep of thatch pulled down over three tiny rooms — and a roof held up by a rare timber cruck-frame you can actually see inside. Said to be one of the oldest thatched houses still standing in Northern Ireland, thought to date to the 1690s, sitting quietly near Castlerock just up the road from Downhill and Mussenden Temple.
What you'll see — the long thatched cottage itself, the rare cruck-frame roof left exposed in places so you can read how it was built, three small rooms dressed with old farm and mid-Victorian furnishings, a museum display explaining the timber frame, and a little garden around the walls.
One of the oldest — said to be one of the oldest surviving thatched houses in Northern Ireland, with a timber frame thought to date to around the 1690s and a family, the Hezletts, who farmed here for two centuries.
How long & who for — a short visit, half an hour to an hour to look round the cottage and garden. All ages; it's a gentle, hands-off kind of history rather than a big day out.
Price — National Trust members go in free; non-members pay a small admission. Confirm the current figure with the National Trust before you travel.
What to bring & food — just yourselves and a coat; there's no café at the cottage, so bring a flask, or pick up food and coffee in Castlerock village a couple of minutes away. Parking is on site.
Small property, very limited seasonal opening. Hezlett House opens only on selected days, mostly spring to early autumn, and often for events or by arrangement — always check the current open days with the National Trust before you set off.
Best paired with Downhill and Mussenden Temple. The cottage is a short stop, so it's at its best combined with the Downhill Demesne clifftop estate and the famous Mussenden Temple just next door — the same corner of the coast.
Plan your visit
Members free · everyone else pays a small admission
National Trust members walk in free. Non-members pay a modest admission at the door — the figure changes from year to year, so check the current price with the National Trust before you go. The big thing to know is opening: Hezlett House is a small property with very limited, seasonal opening, typically on selected days from spring into early autumn, and often around events or by arrangement. It's not a turn-up-any-day attraction, so always confirm the current open days before you travel. The cottage sits on the same stretch of coast as Downhill Demesne and Mussenden Temple, which many people take in on the same trip.
Historic cottageCruck-frame displayGardenDogs on leads (grounds)
Good to know:
This is a small, fragile old building with very limited opening — sometimes only on event days or by arrangement. Never travel on spec; check the National Trust's current open days and admission price first. There's no café at the cottage, so bring a flask or eat in Castlerock village.
Before you set off
What to bring
📅The open days, checkedThe single most useful thing to bring — proof you've confirmed the cottage is actually open that day with the National Trust.
🧥A coatYou're a stone's throw from the north coast; the weather turns quickly, and the cottage rooms are cosy but small.
☕A flask or a plan for the villageNo café at the cottage — bring your own, or pick up coffee and food in Castlerock a couple of minutes away.
🗺️The rest of the dayIt's a short stop, so line up Downhill and Mussenden Temple next door to make a proper afternoon of it.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
National Trust members free. Non-members pay a small admission at the door — the figure changes year to year, so confirm the current price with the National Trust before you go.
Opening
A small property with very limited, seasonal opening — typically selected days from spring into early autumn, and often around events or by arrangement. Not open every day. Always check current open days with the National Trust before travelling.
The cottage
A single-storey thatched house of three small rooms, dressed with old farm and mid-Victorian furnishings, with the rare cruck-frame roof left exposed in places and a display explaining how it was built.
The garden
A modest garden around the walls of the cottage — a gentle wander rather than a big garden day.
Food
No café at the cottage. Bring a flask, or get food and coffee in Castlerock village a couple of minutes away.
Dogs
Assistance dogs indoors; dogs on leads generally welcome in the grounds and garden. Check with the National Trust on the day.
Getting around
A small old building with narrow rooms and uneven floors in places. Check accessibility with the National Trust ahead of a visit if that matters for your group.
Parking
Parking on site at the cottage.
How long
A short visit — roughly half an hour to an hour for the cottage and garden. Best paired with Downhill and Mussenden Temple next door.
Questions
Before you go
Is Hezlett House open every day?
No — it's a small property with very limited, seasonal opening, often only on selected days, event days or by arrangement, mostly spring into early autumn. Always check the current open days with the National Trust before you travel; don't turn up on spec.
How old is it really?
It's said to be one of the oldest surviving thatched houses in Northern Ireland, with a timber cruck-frame thought to date to around the 1690s. The Hezlett family farmed here for around two centuries before the National Trust took it on.
Is it free for National Trust members?
Yes — members go in free. Non-members pay a small admission at the door, and the figure changes from year to year, so confirm the current price with the National Trust before you set off.
What's a cruck-frame?
It's an old way of building a roof from pairs of curved timbers that meet like an arch, then infilled with clay, rubble and whatever was to hand. It's rare in Northern Ireland, and at Hezlett House parts are left exposed so you can see it — there's a display explaining it too.
Is there anywhere to eat?
Not at the cottage itself, so bring a flask, or pick up food and coffee in Castlerock village a couple of minutes away. Downhill and Mussenden Temple are close by if you're making a day of the coast.
What else is nearby?
It's just up the road from Downhill Demesne and the clifftop Mussenden Temple — the cottage is a short stop, so most people fold it into a wider day around that stretch of coast.
Getting there
107 Sea Road, Castlerock, County Londonderry, BT51 4TW — just outside Castlerock village on the north coast, a short hop from Downhill Demesne and Mussenden Temple, with parking on site.
Hezlett House is thought to have gone up around the 1690s — one story has it built as a parsonage for the rector of nearby Dunboe. What makes it special is hidden under the thatch: a timber cruck-frame, pairs of curved beams raised like arches and then packed around with clay, rubble and whatever the land gave up. It's a way of building rarely seen in Northern Ireland at that date, and inside the cottage parts of it are deliberately left bare so you can read the bones of the house.
In 1761 a Presbyterian farmer, Isaac Hezlett, took the place on, and his family lived and farmed here for the best part of two centuries — long enough to lend the cottage their name. The National Trust took it into care in the 1970s, kept the long sweep of thatch going, and dressed the three small rooms with old farm and mid-Victorian pieces so it reads as a working home rather than an empty shell. It's a quiet, human counterpoint to the grand ruins at Downhill just up the road: not a great house, but one of the oldest ordinary ones still standing.