Ireland · Partial ruin
Clough Castle
Clough Castle is a small Anglo‑Norman motte‑and‑bailey castle in Clough, County Down, Northern Ireland, founded in the 12th century by John de Courcy. The site today is dominated by a 7.6 m high earthen motte topped by the ruined remains of a later stone tower house and a small crescent‑shaped bailey to the south‑east; the motte was excavated in 1951–52 revealing early phases of occupation.
First raised
1000
Its prime
1500
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1500
What Clough Castle looked like in its prime.
A compact earthen motte rises about 7.6 metres above the surrounding ground, topped by a single stone tower house (a rebuilt keep) of rough local rubble. There are no continuous curtain walls; instead a small crescent‑shaped bailey lies to the south‑east separated from the motte by a shallow ditch approximately 2.1 metres deep and an earth bank that once replaced a timber palisade. The silhouette is dominated by the squat stone tower perched on the rounded grassy mound.
Its story
The story of Clough Castle.
Clough Castle is a 12th-century Anglo-Norman motte-and-bailey at Clough in County Down, founded by John de Courcy. The earthen motte rises 7.6 metres, with a small crescent-shaped bailey to the south-east, separated from it by a ditch over two metres deep.
The motte is crowned by the ruined remains of a later stone tower house. Excavations in 1951–52 revealed the early phases of occupation beneath.
Step inside
5 places to explore in 1500.
The record describes 5 distinct spots at Clough Castle — including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
Create History
Recreate Clough Castle with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1500 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
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