County Down stands out for its significant role in major fantasy and adventure productions, thanks to its historic estates, ancient ruins, dense forests, and dramatic coastal and mountain landscapes. The county’s most prominent cinematic legacy is tied to Game of Thrones, with several sites doubling as key locations in Westeros.
- Castle Ward (near Strangford, on the shores of Strangford Lough): This 18th-century National Trust estate, with its Georgian farmyard, courtyard, wooded grounds, and lough views, served as the primary exterior for Winterfell, the ancestral home of House Stark, in Game of Thrones (Season 1 and beyond). Scenes included the Stark children’s archery practice, Robb Stark’s army camp, the Whispering Wood, the Baelor battlefield, Brienne’s confrontation, and dockside moments; it also appeared as a meeting spot in Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023).
- Tollymore Forest Park (near Newcastle, in the Mourne Mountains foothills): This ancient woodland, featuring Gothic arches, redwood groves, rivers, and trails, was the first location filmed for Game of Thrones and appeared extensively as the Haunted Forest north of the Wall. It featured the Stark discovery of the direwolf pups, early White Walker sightings, Wildling scenes, and Ramsay Bolton’s hunt of Theon Greyjoy; the park’s eerie atmosphere has also supported other productions like psychological thrillers.
- Inch Abbey (near Downpatrick, overlooking the Quoile River): The atmospheric 12th-century Cistercian ruins, with their stone arches and river views, stood in for scenes in the Riverlands in Game of Thrones, including Robb Stark’s army camp at the Trident and related encampments during the War of the Five Kings.
- Mourne Mountains (various spots, including Slieve Donard and surrounding peaks): This iconic granite range, with sweeping valleys, heather-covered slopes, and dramatic peaks, provided rugged backdrops for multiple productions. It appeared as Vaes Dothrak landscapes in Game of Thrones, a Viking ball game setting in The Northman (2022), and other scenes requiring wild, mountainous terrain.
- Strangford Lough and Audley’s Castle (near Castle Ward): The lough’s shores and the 15th-century tower house ruins (with CGI enhancement) represented the Twins, seat of House Frey, in Game of Thrones, alongside army camp exteriors and transitional scenes.
Other notable uses include Mount Stewart’s gardens in The School for Good and Evil (2022), various coastal and village spots in smaller Irish films like Mickybo and Me (2005) around Tyrella Beach and Castlewellan, and incidental scenes in titles such as Philomena or Dublin Murders. County Down’s film heritage centres heavily on Game of Thrones (with Castle Ward and Tollymore as the most celebrated and visited sites), offering a blend of historic estates and natural drama that has drawn global blockbusters rather than purely local stories.
Movie locations in the county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Down:
Ireland’s county Down offers a mix of historic sites and scenic landscapes, with Downpatrick’s Saint Patrick Centre and cathedral providing insights into Ireland’s patron saint. The Mourne Mountains offer hiking trails with sweeping views, while Strangford Lough provides kayaking and wildlife spotting. Other attractions include the historic Tollymore Forest Park. Down is Ireland’s 12th largest county by size (2,447 square km) and fourth largest by population (553,261). Population peaked at 361,446 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 204,303, in 1911. In terms of hospitality, Down is Ireland’s 18th most visited tourist county with around 127,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – New – Name – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
