Strangford (from
Old Norse ''Strangr fjörðr'', meaning "strong sea-inlet") is a small
village at the mouth of
Strangford Lough, on the
Lecale peninsula in
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
,
Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 at the
2001 Census.
On the other side of the
lough is
Portaferry on the
Ards Peninsula
The Ards Peninsula () is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north-east coast of Ireland. It separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea. Towns and villages on the peninsula include Donaghadee, Millisle ...
, and there is a
ferry service between the two villages. The village has a small
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
, which is overlooked by rows of 19th-century cottages and a fine Georgian terrace.
Places of interest
*
Strangford Castle, near the harbour in Strangford, is a 16th-century
tower house with a drop hole at roof level to defend the door.
*
Castle Ward consists of a 16th century tower house and an 18th century
mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...
built in two distinct architectural styles,
Classical and
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
, overlooking Strangford Lough. The property is owned by the
National Trust. Castle Ward is one-and-one-half miles from Strangford.
*
Audley's Castle is a 15th-century castle one mile northeast of Strangford, overlooking Strangford Lough.
*
Audleystown Court Tomb is a
Neolithic dual
court tomb
The court cairn or court tomb is a megalithic type of chambered cairn or gallery grave. During the period, 3900–3500 BCE, more than 390 court cairns were built in Ireland and over 100 in southwest Scotland. The Neolithic (New Stone Age ...
almost two miles northwest of Strangford.
Gallery
Image:Strangford (01), August 2009.JPG, Houses in Strangford, August 2009
Image:Strangford (07), August 2009.JPG, Strangford, August 2009
Image:Strangford Ferry Terminal (13), August 2009.JPG, Strangford Ferry terminal, August 2009
Image:Strangford Castle (01), August 2009.JPG, Strangford Castle, August 2009
Image:Strangford (04), August 2009.JPG, Houses in Strangford, August 2009
Image:Strangford Ferry (12), August 2009.JPG, Strangford Ferry approaching Strangford slipway, August 2009
References
{{authority control
Ports and harbours of Northern Ireland
Villages in County Down
Port cities and towns in Northern Ireland
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