This vast old quarry on the shore of Larne Lough is one of the most important Game of Thrones sets there ever was — Castle Black and the towering Wall of the Night's Watch were built right here, and the same quarry doubled as Hardhome for the great wildling battle.
What it is — a huge former limestone and chalk quarry beside Larne Lough that became the main outdoor filming set for Game of Thrones. The whole Castle Black courtyard and a section of the Wall were constructed on the quarry floor, using the sheer cut-rock face as the backdrop.
This is a private industrial site — there is no public access. You cannot walk in, tour the quarry or see the old sets; the gates are locked and the land is off-limits. Please don't try to enter.
How to experience it — this is one for the Game of Thrones trail to know about rather than a walk-in attraction. Fans admire the quarry setting from the surrounding Larne area and follow the story of what was filmed here.
The proper way to see the sets is the Game of Thrones Studio Tour. Original props, costumes and reconstructed sets are on show there — that's where the Castle Black and Hardhome story really comes alive. See the Studio Tour →
Where it is — on the west shore of Larne Lough near Magheramorne, just south of Larne in Co. Antrim, a short drive up the coast from Carrickfergus and Belfast.
Best paired with — the Game of Thrones Studio Tour and the wider filming-locations trail around the Antrim and Causeway coast, so the sites you can actually visit fill out the day.
Before you plan a trip
Can I visit? No — it's a private site.
It's worth saying this plainly, because plenty of fans go looking: Magheramorne Quarry is a private industrial site and it is not open to the public. There's no visitor centre, no tour of the old sets and no walking access — the quarry is fenced and gated, and the filming structures are long gone. Treat it as a piece of Game of Thrones history to know about, not a day out you can walk into. The sets, props and costumes you actually want to see are all at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour.
No public accessFormer GoT filming setLarne Lough shoreBest seen at the Studio Tour
Please don't try to enter:
The quarry is active private land with locked gates and no visitor access. For the real Castle Black and Hardhome experience — reconstructed sets, original props and costumes — head for the Game of Thrones Studio Tour instead.
What was filmed here
Castle Black, the Wall & Hardhome
🏰Castle BlackThe headquarters of the Night's Watch — its courtyard, gates and timber buildings were built on the quarry floor.
🧊The WallThe great ice Wall of the Night's Watch used the quarry's sheer cut-rock face as its backdrop, extended on screen with effects.
⚔️HardhomeThe same quarry doubled as the wildling settlement for the dramatic Hardhome massacre battle.
🎬A key outdoor setAlongside the Titanic Studios in Belfast, Magheramorne was one of the show's main large-scale outdoor build sites.
Good to know
The honest picture
Access
None — this is a private industrial site with locked gates. It is not open to the public and there is no walking access to the quarry or the old set locations.
What's here now
The temporary Castle Black and Hardhome sets were dismantled after filming, so there is nothing to tour on site. It remains a working/former quarry, not a visitor attraction.
How to experience it
Know it as a landmark of the Game of Thrones story, and see the reconstructed sets, props and costumes at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour.
Where it is
On the west shore of Larne Lough near Magheramorne, just south of Larne in Co. Antrim.
What was filmed
Castle Black and a section of the Wall were built here, and the quarry doubled as Hardhome for the battle scene.
Pair it with
The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and the wider filming-locations trail along the Antrim and Causeway coast.
Questions
Before you go
Can I visit Magheramorne Quarry?
No — it's a private industrial site with no public access. The gates are locked and you can't walk in or tour the old sets. If you want to see the Castle Black and Hardhome sets, head for the Game of Thrones Studio Tour instead.
What was filmed here?
The quarry was the main outdoor set for Castle Black and a section of the Wall of the Night's Watch, and it doubled as Hardhome for the wildling battle in Game of Thrones.
Are the sets still there?
No — the temporary structures were taken down after filming, so there's nothing to tour on site. The full reconstructed sets, props and costumes are on show at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour.
Where is it?
On the west shore of Larne Lough near Magheramorne, just south of Larne in Co. Antrim — a short drive up the coast from Carrickfergus and Belfast.
So how should I experience it?
Treat it as a piece of Game of Thrones history to know about as part of the filming-locations trail, and book the Game of Thrones Studio Tour to actually see the sets, props and costumes up close.
Where it is
On the west shore of Larne Lough near Magheramorne, just south of Larne, County Antrim. It's a private site with no visitor access — but the story of what was built and filmed here is a real highlight of the Game of Thrones trail.
For generations this was a working quarry, cut into the hillside above Larne Lough for its limestone and chalk. Great grey walls of rock were carved away year after year, leaving the sheer cliff faces and wide, flat floor you can see in the aerial photos — the kind of raw, man-made landscape that looks like nowhere else.
When Game of Thrones came to Northern Ireland looking for somewhere vast and forbidding, that towering rock face was perfect. The production built Castle Black on the quarry floor and used the cliff as the foot of the great ice Wall, then returned to the same spot to stage the wildling settlement of Hardhome. For a few years, a Co. Antrim quarry became the northern edge of a fictional world watched by millions.
The sets are gone now and the gates are shut, so the quarry has slipped back to quiet. But for anyone following the show's trail across the north, it's a place worth knowing about — and the reconstructed version, the one you can walk through, is waiting at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour.