Clough Castle

Clough Castle is a ruined Anglo-Norman motte-and-bailey fortification constructed in the 12th century by John de Courcy in County Down, Northern Ireland. The site features an impressive 82-foot-high mound topped with a stone tower, which was enlarged into a tower house during the 15th or 16th centuries. The castle's complex construction history reflects centuries of use, including a timber palisade with archer pits, a stone hall, and a defended bailey separated by a seven-foot ditch. Now maintained as a State Care Historic Monument by the National Trust, Clough Castle stands as a significant example of medieval military architecture in Ulster.