Clough Castle

On a slight terrace over the flood plain of the Clogh River which runs roughly N-S c. 100m to the E. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 188-9) the castle of Clough was ‘”ancient” even in 1298’ and he continues to mention that ‘Only slight traces of it now appear over the surface of the field, but its cellars still remain perfect beneath’. The castle is indicated on the Down Survey (1655-6) map. A flat-topped mound (H c. 1.2m; dims. 25m NE-SW; 16m NW-SE narrowing towards the NE to 10m). On top of the mound there are grass-covered wall foundations, in places standing to a height of 0.7m. These include a length of NE wall (L 3m), a length of SE wall (L 8m), with a further length (L 3m) 1m to the SW, though slightly further out and a short length (L 2m) of NW wall 10m opposite. These suggest a building (dims. 10m NW-SE; c. 13.5m NE-SW). At the NE end of the mound, outside the length of NE walling, there is an overgrown pile of demolished stonework.