Although the television series GAME OF THRONES is a production of American pay television network HBO, the series was shot almost entirely in Europe. Filming took place on location in Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Spain and Northern Ireland, among others. For most indoor scenes The Paint Hall Studios in Belfast were used.
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 1, 0:20:56 |
The series is based on the fantasy novels ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.R. Martin, about a mythical world in which the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros vie to claim the Iron Throne. Even before Martin completed the seven-part series, filming began in 2010. Five books were published between 1996 and 2011. To date, two volumes have not yet been published. The series concluded in 2019 after eight seasons with 73 episodes and is named after the first book, ‘A Game of Thrones’.
The first episode, “Winter is coming”, first aired on 17 April 2011. The title refers to the motto of the Stark family. At the head is Lord Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark (Sean Bean). He is married to Lady Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) and together they have five children: Robb (Richard Madden), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson). Ned also has a bastard son, Jon Snow (Kit Harrington). They live at castle Winterfell.
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| Old Castle Ward, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
Doune Castle in Scotland was originally chosen to represent the home of the Stark family. However, HBO was not satisfied with the quality of this episode and decided that the episode should be reshot almost entirely. Some locations were dropped, including Doune Castle which was replaced by Castle Ward in Strangford, Northern Ireland. This property includes several buildings from different periods.
Managed by the
National Trust since 1952, Castle Ward is open to the public. When we arrived at the entrance, we were asked if we were coming for
Game of Thrones, after which we received a map showing the locations used for the series, including how to walk from the car park to ‘Winterfell’.
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| Map Castle Ward |
Old Castle Ward
This small castle was commissioned by the Ward family around 1600. In the series, it can be seen as Winterfell, the castle of the Stark family. It consists of two towers with an enclosed courtyard where Robb and Jon teach their younger brother Bran archery. During our visit, there was an activity for children with coloured props that I digitally removed in one photo. To compare I have included both photos.
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 1, 0:09:47 |
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| Old Castle Ward, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 1, 0:09:57 |
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| Old Castle Ward, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
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| Old Castle Ward, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
Later in the same episode, King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) visits with his entourage. It is easy to see that the castle has been digitally enlarged, with an eye for detail: the clock on the tower, a later addition, was removed.
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 1, 0:24:50 |
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| Old Castle Ward, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 1, 0:25:17 |
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| Old Castle Ward, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
Audley’s Castle
The estate contains the remains of another castle. Audley's Castle was built on a hill in the 15th century. In 1646, owner James Audley sold the castle to his neighbour Bernard Ward, making it part of Castle Ward. The information sign shows that Audley's Castle originally had a fortified wall, with only the tower remaining.
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| Information sign Audley's Castle, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
In the series, Audley's Castle is first seen in episode 8, “The Pointy End”, of the first season when Lady Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel (Ron Donachie) arrive to join Robb Stark's army. The tower is an uninhabited remnant of Moat Cailin, once a strategically located fortress.
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 8, 0:39:47 |
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| Audley's Castle, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
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| Game of Thrones, season 1, episode 8, 0:40:07 |
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| Audley's Castle, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
In episode 6, “The Old Gods and the New”, and episode 7, “A Man without Honor”, of the second season, the Battle of Oxcross takes place. After Joffrey Lannister (Jack Gleeson) succeeds his father Robert as king, he has Ned Stark beheaded. Robb is then proclaimed king of the North which results in a battle between the two families with Audley's Castle in the background. Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the twin brother of Joffrey's mother Cersei (Lena Headey), is captured in the process.
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Game of Thrones, season 2, episode 6, 0:39:26
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| Audley's Castle, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
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Game of Thrones, season 2, episode 7, 0:44:30
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| Audley's Castle, Strangford, 16 July 2024 |
There are ten interpretation signs in Northern Ireland at or near a location where Game of Thrones was filmed, one of them is installed at the entrance to Audley's Castle.
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Interpretation sign Game of Thrones, Strangford, 16 July 2024
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Screenshots © Home Box Office, Inc.
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