Key facts
- Operator
- Department for Communities (Historic Environment Division)
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Limited tour days
Pinpoint
Shore Rd, Kilclief, Downpatrick BT30 7NP
Website www.communities-ni.gov.uk/services/buildings-database
Kilclief is the oldest tower house on the Lecale peninsula, dating from the 1400s, standing right by the coast road with a beach across from it. It's closed to entry outside its summer tours, which run on local key access, so most visitors experience it from the outside only.
Worth the trip
The coastal setting - the castle sits right opposite a beach, and reviewers rate the spot as much as the building.
Before you go
Entry needs the local key-holder and only runs in summer, so treat this as an exterior stop unless you've arranged access ahead of time. There's a small free car park just across the road.
Based on a small number of reviews, visitors describe Kilclief Castle as a pleasant chance discovery along the coastal route, appreciating that it's free to view with a small free car park and a useful information panel, though the interior itself is closed to visitors. Several also mention the beach right beside it as an added bonus.
Oldest Lecale tower house; local key access, summer tours
“Excellent little car park right beside the castle and a beautiful small beach”— Gavin Burnside, visitor review
