Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle
The current Belfast Castle, which was constructed in the late 1860s for The 3rd Marquess of Donegall.[1]
TypeBuilt as a country house
LocationThe lower slopes of Cave Hill on the County Antrim side of Belfast
Coordinates54°38′34″N 5°56′32″W / 54.6428°N 5.9422°W / 54.6428; -5.9422
BuiltLate 1860s
ArchitectProbably W.H. Lynn or John Lanyon
Architectural style(s)Victorian Scots Baronial
OwnerBelfast City Council
Listed Building – Grade A
Reference no.HB26/51/001A

Belfast Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhéal Feirste[2][3]) is a mansion located in Cave Hill Country Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a prominent position 400 feet (120 m) above sea level. Its location provides unobstructed views over the City of Belfast and Belfast Lough.[3][4][5] There have been several structures called "Belfast Castle" over the centuries, located on different sites.[6] The current "castle" is a Victorian structure, built between 1867 and 1870 on the slopes of Cave Hill, and is Grade A listed.[7] The main entrance into the Belfast Castle Demesne is now where Innisfayle Park meets Downview Park West, just off the Antrim Road (part of the A6). The original main entrance into the current demesne was formerly on the Antrim Road itself, where Strathmore Park now meets the Antrim Road.[8]

  1. ^ Brett 1985, p. 46.
  2. ^ "Caisleán Bhéal Feirste i Béal Feirste". Advisor.Travel (in Irish). Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b Ireland Highlights: Belfast Castle. https://www.irelandhighlights.com/info/belfast-castle/ Archived 2021-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Irish Castles - Belfast Castle". www.britainirelandcastles.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Belfast Castle Estate - Belfast". Discover Northern Ireland. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Belfast: The hidden castles under the city's shops". BBC News. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Historic Building Details - Belfast Castle". The Department for Communities. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  8. ^ Culture Northern Ireland: The Buildings of the Belfast Castle Estate - The Chapel of the Resurrection and The Gate Lodges. https://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/buildings-belfast-castle-estate Archived 2020-12-02 at the Wayback Machine