300-Year-Old Building Complex Discovered at Castle Ward Estate

Archaeologists uncover previously undocumented structures during routine drainage work in County Down, Northern Ireland.

The discovery was made during the installation of a drainage system on the Castle Ward estate, a National Trust property in County Down.
Archaeologists found the remains of a cobbled courtyard surrounded by buildings, including a sink, fireplace, cellar, and stone-lined drains.
The structures are believed to date back to the late 1600s or early 1700s and may have served as domestic and farm-related facilities for the original Castle Ward house.
Artefacts such as pottery, glass bottles, ceramics, and butchered animal bones were unearthed, providing insights into life from over three centuries ago.
Experts suggest the complex might have been demolished during the construction of the current Castle Ward mansion in the 1760s to improve the view of Strangford Lough.