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Castlerock is a seaside village
Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or Residential community, larger than a hamlet , but smaller than a town or city. Though generally located in rural areas, the term urban village may be applied to certain urban area neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in Beirut, Lebanon....
 in County Londonderry
County Londonderry

County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. It is situated between Coleraine
Coleraine

Coleraine is a large town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland near to the mouth of the River Bann. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Londonderry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections....
 and Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
 and is very popular with summer tourists, having numerous apartment blocks and three caravan sites. Castlerock Golf Club has the 18 hole Championship Mussenden course and the 9 hole Bann course set within the links bounded by the beach, the River Bann
River Bann

The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of the province to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh....
 and the Belfast to Derry railway line. The village had a population of 1,336 people in the 2001 Census.






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Castlerock is a seaside village
Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or Residential community, larger than a hamlet , but smaller than a town or city. Though generally located in rural areas, the term urban village may be applied to certain urban area neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in Beirut, Lebanon....
 in County Londonderry
County Londonderry

County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. It is situated between Coleraine
Coleraine

Coleraine is a large town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland near to the mouth of the River Bann. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Londonderry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections....
 and Derry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
 and is very popular with summer tourists, having numerous apartment blocks and three caravan sites. Castlerock Golf Club has the 18 hole Championship Mussenden course and the 9 hole Bann course set within the links bounded by the beach, the River Bann
River Bann

The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of the province to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh....
 and the Belfast to Derry railway line. The village had a population of 1,336 people in the 2001 Census. Castlerock is also the home of a popular local football team called the Villagers FC.

History

the Earl Bishop
Local historical interest is concentrated on the 18th century Bishop of Derry's ruined palace, cliff-top Mussenden Temple
Mussenden Temple

Mussenden Temple is a small circular building located on cliffs near Castlerock in County Londonderry, high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland....
 and Black Glen set within the Downhill Estate, now owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
. The palace and estate were created by Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol
Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol

Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, Privy Council of Ireland , known as The Earl-Bishop, was Bishop of Cloyne from 1767 to 1768 and Bishop of Derry from 1768 to 1803....
 who was the Bishop of Derry in the 1780s. The Mussenden Temple, with its precarious perch on the basalt cliff edge is one of the most photographed scenes in Ireland.

The 17th century Hezlett House is a thatched cottage with a cruck structure and is situated at the crossroads near the village. Built in around 1691 (Eccles 1996, p 184) it was originally a rectory or farmhouse. Also at the crossroads is an ancient tree reputed to be where the infamous highway man Cushy Glen was hung.

Castlerock was relatively untouched by the Troubles
The Troubles

The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland and Continental Europe....
, with only one fatal incident occurring in or near the village as part of the conflict. This occurred in 1993 when four men were shot by the Ulster Freedom Fighters.

Education

  • Hezlett Primary School
    Hezlett Primary School

    Hezlett Primary School is a Primary education located on the outskirts of Castlerock, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is a state maintained school for girls and boys aged from 3 to 11 and has 295 pupils....


People

The actor James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt

James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in Broughshane and Coleraine, County Londonderry. Although he made acting appearances with the Riverside Theatre, Coleraine in his teenage years, he wanted to become a teacher, like his father....
 lived in Castlerock when a teenager.

The village was also the holiday destination for the famous author C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as Jack, was an academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist....
. Born in Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
, he holidayed in Castlerock as a child and took inspiration from Downhill House for some of his books including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy fiction novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Written in 1950 in literature and set in approximately 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series....
.

Transport

  • Castlerock railway station
    Castlerock railway station

    Castlerock railway station serves the villages of Castlerock, Articlave and their surrounding hamlets in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland....
     opened on 18 July 1853.


2001 Census

Castlerock is classified as a village by the (ie with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,336 people living in Castlerock. Of these:
  • 22.2% were aged under 16 and 22.3% were aged 60 and over
  • 46.6% of the population were male and 53.4% were female
  • 14.5% were from a Catholic
    Catholic

    Catholic is an adjective derived from the Greek language adjective , meaning "whole" or "complete". In the context of Christianity ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages....
     background and 82.3% were from a Protestant
    Protestantism

    Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
     background
  • 3.4% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.


For more details see:

Guysmere Boys' Camp

Every summer in early July boys of secondary school age from all across Northern Ireland converge on Castlerock for Guysmere Boys' Camp. A mission of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland that has been running for over 80 years the camp seeks to spread the good news of Jesus to young boys in a relaxing and enjoyable environment.

The camp is primarily a sports camp with sports such as football, swimming (in the sea!), commonly known as a bathing parade, touch rugby, basketball, surfing, bodyboarding and climbing amongst the activities.

See also

  • List of villages in Northern Ireland
    List of villages in Northern Ireland

    This is a list page for villages in Northern Ireland.The defines a town as having a population of 4,500 or more. Settlements of 2,250 to 4,500 people are defined as intermediate settlements, villages are defined as having populations of 1,000 to 2,250 people and small villages and hamlets are defined as having fewer than 1,000 people ...
  • List of towns in Northern Ireland
    List of towns in Northern Ireland

    This is a list page for towns in Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch....