Bangor Castle in Bangor

Bangor, County Down

Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, was completed in 1852 for The Hon Robert Edward Ward. This imposing building is not so much a castle

Castle

A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...

 as an elegant mansion in the Elizabethan-Jacobean revival style. It has 35 bedrooms and incorporates a huge salon for musical recitals. When the then municipal authority, Bangor Borough Council, acquired the Castle and grounds, the music saloon became the Council Chamber. The first Council meeting was held there almost exactly 100 years after the building-now known as the Town Hall was first completed. The successor to Bangor Borough Council, North Down Borough Council

North Down Borough Council

North Down Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland with an overall population of around 80,000. Its main town is Bangor, 20 km east of Belfast with a population of approximately 55,000. The Council is headquartered in Bangor. Its secondary centre is the former Urban...

 now sits at the Castle.

Situated in Castle Park the gardens have won many awards for their outstanding blooms.