Belfast’s beauty on the hill

Belfast Castle is set in a truly spectacular location on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park at 400 feet above sea level. It has beautiful gardens and spectacular views overlooking Belfast Lough. Belfast’s first castle was built by the Normans in the 13th century in the city center but it was destroyed by fire in 1707 and is only remembered by the name ‘Castle Street’. Belfast remained without a castle for another 160 years until this one was built in 1870. In 1863 the 3rd Marquis of Donegall, a descendant, and heir of the Chichester family decided to build himself a ‘suitable’ residence. It was inspired by Balmoral Castle and was built in a style called Scottish Baronial. Typical features of this style are the cone-capped towers, the bartizans towers perched halfway up the building, and the ‘crow-stepped gables. During this Victorian era, many buildings that called themselves ‘castles’ were really only exquisite mansions as castles in their true sense were built for defensive purposes.