My Grandchildren love the Castle Cat Garden, & trying to find the nine hidden cats, (hiding in full view) I only found 5 on my first visit. On my second visit to the Castle I found all 9 Cats with the help of my Grandchildren.
There are three shown in my listing photo gallery. (see if you can spot them) It would be nice if any Geocacher visiting Belfast Castle would post a Cat photo.
History of Belfast Castle:
"The first Belfast Castle was built by the Normans in Belfast city centre in the late 12th century. A second castle, made of stone and timber, was later constructed by Sir Arthur Chichester, Baron of Belfast, on the same site in 1611.
Sadly, the castle burned down almost 100 years later, leaving only street names, such as Castle Place, to mark its location.
Donegall period
In 1862, the third Marquis of Donegall, a descendant of the Chichester family, decided to build a new castle within his deer park, situated on the side of Cave Hill in what is now north Belfast.
Designs for the new building were completed by architect John Lanyon and reflected the popular Scottish baronial style.
The castle was finished in 1870 and cost far more than the £11,000 set aside by the Marquis. In order to complete the building, he received financial help from his son-in-law, Lord Ashley, heir to the title of Earl of Shaftesbury.
Shaftesbury period:
When the Marquis died in 1884, the castle and its estate passed to Lord Ashley, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury.
Lord Ashley and his wife, Harriet Augusta, as well as their ancestors, are remembered in many famous Belfast street names, such as Donegall Place, Donegall Square, Donegall Road and Shaftesbury Square.
The Donegall coat-of-arms appears over the front door and on the north wall of Belfast Castle. A section of the Shaftesbury crest also appears on the exterior staircase, now a popular spot for wedding photographs. This was not part of the original castle plans - instead, it was added in 1894 by the ninth Earl of Shaftesbury as a present to his mother.
The Shaftesbury family was very generous donor to Belfast, supporting many charities and hosting garden fetes in the castle grounds. The ninth Earl became Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1907 and chancellor of Queen's University in 1908.
The castle remained with the family for many years, before they eventually presented it and the surrounding estate to the City of Belfast in 1934.
Modern history:
In 1978 the castle closed as part of a £2 million refurbishment programme, overseen by Hewitt and Haslam Partnership architects. It reopened on 11 November 1988 and is now a popular venue for weddings, conferences and other events."
Text Source: (
visit link)
Belfast Castle
Antrim Rd,
Belfast,
Antrim
BT15 5GR