Overview
There is no castle at Antrim Castle, and it’s worth knowing that before you go. The fortified mansion on the Randalstown Road burned down in 1922 and was demolished in the 1970s; all that stands of it now is a raised grass platform, a freestanding Italian stair tower from 1887 and a gatehouse from around 1818. What people actually come for is the 400-year-old formal gardens laid out around the old house, free to walk into, about a 30-minute drive north of Belfast.
If you have an hour, the set piece is the run of 17th-century Anglo-Dutch canals and the Italian tower reflected in the Long Canal. With children, add the Norman motte and the Clockwork Garden. The restored Clotworthy House, the former stable block, holds the visitor centre, the garden heritage exhibition and Mann’s Garden Kitchen café.
A layered history
The estate begins in 1613, when English settler Sir Hugh Clotworthy built a fortified house on the banks of the Six Mile Water. His son John enlarged it in 1662, and through marriage it passed to the Skeffington family, later the Viscounts Massereene. The castle was remodelled repeatedly: a Georgian-Gothic castellated mansion in 1813 by Dublin architect John Bowden, the hexagonal Italian stair tower in 1887, and the surviving neo-Tudor gatehouse around 1818.
At 3am on 28 October 1922, during a small family gathering, fire broke out and gutted the building. The official verdict at the time was inconclusive, but in 2022 historian Stephen McCracken published testimonies from the National Archives of Ireland confirming it as an IRA arson attack. The ruined shell was finally cleared in the 1970s.
The gardens outlasted the house. The 17th-century Anglo-Dutch canal system was later joined by a 19th-century upper canal, and the 12th-century motte on the eastern boundary is one of the best preserved in Ulster. In the 1990s the local council acquired the derelict stable block, and a £6 million restoration backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund brought the formal gardens back – work that won an Ulster in Bloom Special Award in 2012. A more recent and more divisive addition is Anto Brennan’s bronze double sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, unveiled on 6 September 2024; the likeness drew a fair amount of online comment, which has only made it a talking point.
What to see and do
The gardens are laid out for a slow wander, with clear paths and interpretive signs.
- Clotworthy House and garden heritage exhibition – The former stable block, built around 1843 in Jacobean revival style, now traces four centuries of garden design and the Massereene family through artefacts and old photographs. It ran as the Clotworthy Arts Centre from 1982 to 2009 before being restored as the gardens’ visitor hub.
- Mann’s Garden Kitchen – A family-run café inside Clotworthy House, with homemade, locally sourced food, open daily 09:00–16:30.
- Canals and Parterre – Walk the 17th-century Anglo-Dutch canals and the later upper canal. The Large Parterre has geometric planting and formal hedges.
- Norman motte – One of Ulster’s best-preserved 12th-century mottes, on the eastern boundary.
- Victorian pleasure garden and Sensory Garden – The Sensory Garden is designed for neuro-diverse visitors and those with dementia or autism, with wide 2 m pathways, raised beds, wind chimes, balance beams and musical instruments.
- Platinum Jubilee Clockwork Garden – A kinetic installation marking the 2022 Jubilee, with moving sculptures and interactive parts.
- Time Travel Trails app – A free GPS app (iOS and Android) with a 1.7 km circular AR trail through the gardens, overlaying reconstructed historic scenes onto the landscape.
- Lime Avenue and Deerpark Bridge – The tree-lined Lime Avenue frames views of Shane’s Castle; the basalt-rubble Deerpark Bridge, built over 300 years ago, was once the only link to the deer park.
- Local legends – Keep an ear out for Lady Marian Langford, said to have been saved from a wolf in 1607 by a wolfhound that later turned to stone on a turret, and the phantom coach that supposedly descends into the Long Canal every 31 May.
Practical information
- Location: Randalstown Road, Antrim, County Antrim
- Entry: Free. Admission to the gardens is free; some exhibitions in Clotworthy House may carry a small charge. The attraction holds a four-star Tourism Northern Ireland rating.
- Opening hours: Gardens Mon–Fri 09:30–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00, with the grounds staying open later, until dusk or around 9:30pm, in summer. Clotworthy House opens 10:00–16:00. Closed 1 January, 12 July and 25–26 December.
- Parking: Free on-site parking, but it is limited and can be tight at peak times; dedicated disabled bays and EV charging points are available.
- Accessibility: Most garden paths are wheelchair-friendly, with accessible toilets in the gardens and at the café. See the AccessAble guide for the full breakdown.
- Dogs: A dedicated dog park is on-site, and dogs on leads are welcome throughout the gardens.
- Contact: Phone 028 9448 1338.
Getting there
The gardens are 19 miles (about 30 minutes) north of Belfast via the M2. Follow the A6 to the Randalstown Road turn-off; signage directs you to the car parks. By public transport, regular buses serve Antrim town, with the nearest stop about five minutes’ walk from the entrance. With extra time, cross the Deerpark Bridge and follow the Six Mile Water downstream to the shore of Lough Neagh, Ireland’s largest freshwater lake.
Seasonal highlights and events
- Spring and summer – The formal gardens, the Parterre, Yew Tree Pond and Victorian planting are at their peak.
- Autumn – Golden foliage over the canals, Lime Avenue and the motte.
- Winter – The grounds host festive lighting displays, including the Enchanted Winter Garden.
- Guided tours and workshops – Ranger-led tours run seasonally (typically £5 per person), with family workshops and children’s nature activities through the year. Check the council website for the current calendar.
Nearby
- Antrim town – A short walk away, with the market square, the 10th-century round tower (The Steeple) and independent shops.
- Black Mountain – A 20-minute drive south, with views over Belfast and Lough Neagh and trails through the Belfast Hills.
- Antrim Coast and Glens – North to the Causeway Coastal Route, its cliffs, beaches and ruins.
- Shane’s Castle – A 10-minute drive north, with castle ruins and landscaped grounds.
Allow at least two hours for a relaxed loop, download the Time Travel Trails app before you arrive, and if the weather holds, take a picnic for the benches over the Long Canal – there’s no better seat in the gardens.