Bangor Castle

Bangor Castle is situated in Castle Park in the town of Bangor 12 miles from Belfast.

The castle has the appearance of a three storey Elizabethan Jacobean mansion house made from limestone attached to an earlier abbey which has a steeply pitched roof. The castle sits in formal gardens with flower beds, which have won awards for their outstanding blooms and trees around the perimeter; a large car park has also been built at the front.

Facilities
Bangor Castle is now used by the local council and not open to the general public.

History
The original building on the site was an abbey founded in around 555AD by St. Comgal. The building was destroyed in the 9th century by the Danes and rebuilt in 1120 after which it was used by Franciscan monks until the abbey was dissolved in 1542.

The manor house on the site was completed in 1852 for the Honorable Robert Edward Ward and consisted of no less than 35 bedrooms and a large saloon for music recitals.

Bangor Borough Council acquired the castle and it became the Town Hall. It is now the seat of its successor the North Down Borough Council.