The Castle RollsA survey of every visitable castle in the United Kingdom
4.5 / 5 · 134 reports TOURS ONLY

Narrow Water Keep

County Down, Northern Ireland


Narrow Water Keep
Narrow Water Keep, further view Narrow Water Keep, further view

Key facts

Operator
Department for Communities (Historic Environment Division)
Condition
Partial ruin
Access
Limited tour days

Pinpoint

Possible Opening hours

Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.

MondayOpen 24 hours
TuesdayOpen 24 hours
WednesdayOpen 24 hours
ThursdayOpen 24 hours
FridayOpen 24 hours
SaturdayOpen 24 hours
SundayOpen 24 hours

Narrow Water Keep is a tower house on the shore of Carlingford Lough, free to enter but only open Friday to Sunday over summer - visitors who arrive outside those hours are limited to photographs from the outside. When it is open, you can climb through most of the levels, bar the top.

Worth the trip

The original features accessible level by level when it's open, paired with information boards that reviewers say make the history easy to follow.

Before you go

It only opens Friday to Sunday in summer, so timing matters - several reviewers turned up on other days and found it locked. Parking is a short walk up the road, and at low tide you can view the keep from all around.

WHAT VISITORS SAY · 4.5 / 5 across 134 Google reviews

Reviewers commonly note that Narrow Water Keep is only open at limited times and several arrived to find it closed, so checking opening hours in advance is worth doing. Those who did get inside enjoyed the well-documented tower house features and access to most floors, though the topmost turret is sometimes off-limits; it's free to visit with parking a short walk up the road.

Free; summer Fri-Sun opening

“Very rarely open so took advantage of this opportunity. Well worth a look around all 3 floors. Pity the roof turret was closed.”— Keith Roper, visitor review

Further reading

book
Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain

Marc Morris

Find it on Amazon
Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain cover book
Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain

Marc Morris

Find it on Amazon
Castles of Britain and Ireland cover book
Castles of Britain and Ireland

Plantagenet Somerset Fry

Find it on Amazon