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Down Cathedral
Attractions in Downpatrick

What to see in Downpatrick, from Down Cathedral on

Visitors to Downpatrick can choose from 3 museums, 3 attractions and 2 castles. Mapped inside Downpatrick’s settlement are 4 places to visit, and within 5 km of its edge another 9. The list includes one place cared for by the National Trust. Inside 1 km of the middle lie 2 of the places on the list. Beyond the town, Castle Ward sits 9.8 km away.

Photo: Down Cathedral, Ardfern (CC BY-SA 3.0)
In Downpatrick
4
inside the settlement
Within 5 km
9
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
3
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Cared for
1
National Trust and others
Best known

The names to know in Downpatrick

Then come 2 museums, an attraction and an abbey or priory, behind Down Cathedral.

CathedralDown Cathedralin townMuseumDown County Museumin townAttractionAttractionSt. Patrick's Gravein townMuseumMuseumSt. Patricks Visitor Centrein townAbbey or prioryInch Abbey600 m outside town, to the northwestHeritage railwayDownpatrick and County Down Railway100 m outside town, to the west

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Where to find them

At the edge of the map sits Castle Bright, 6.2 km out.

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The dashed line is Downpatrick’s settlement; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NISRA settlement development limit 2015

By kind

Kind by kind

Castles or historic places number 5, museums or galleries 3.

Museums & galleries 3 museums2 in town · 1 nearby
Castles & historic places 2 castles · 1 cathedral · 1 abbey or priory · 1 historic house1 in town · 4 nearby
Gardens & estates 1 park or estate0 in town · 1 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 heritage railway0 in town · 1 nearby
Other attractions 3 attractions1 in town · 2 nearby

Green: inside Downpatrick. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by the National Trust (Gibbs Island).

Every place

Every entry

In town there are 4, and the list adds 9 more within 5 km of its edge.

The 4 inside Downpatrick come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

78 listed buildings and 3 scheduled monuments are on Downpatrick’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Downpatrick →

Big names nearby

For a day out

Leading the 12 is Castle Ward, 9.8 km away; they include 4 castles and 3 historic houses.

Castle · National TrustCastle Ward9.8 km northeastPalaceHillsborough Castle29 km northwestCastleDundrum Castle13 km southwestHistoric shipSS Nomadic34 km northwestHistoric houseStormont Castle32 km northGardenBotanic Gardens32 km northwestCastleKillyleagh Castle9.2 km northCastleCastleKilclief Castle11 km eastHistoric houseBelfast Castle38 km northwestCathedralSt Anne's Cathedral, Belfast34 km northwestHistoric houseHistoric house · National TrustMount Stewart26 km northCathedralCathedralSt Peter's Cathedral34 km northwest

Places well known beyond Downpatrick (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Quick answers on Downpatrick

What are the main attractions in Downpatrick?

The best known inside Downpatrick’s settlement are Down Cathedral, Down County Museum, St. Patrick's Grave and St. Patricks Visitor Centre. In all, 4 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 9 more within 5 km.

Does Downpatrick have a museum?

3 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Downpatrick: Down County Museum, St. Patricks Visitor Centre and Carriage Gallery.

Is there a National Trust property near Downpatrick?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Downpatrick, 1 place is cared for by the National Trust (Gibbs Island).

What are the best-known days out near Downpatrick?

Within 40 km: Castle Ward (9.8 km), Hillsborough Castle (29 km), Dundrum Castle (13 km), SS Nomadic (34 km).

Where are Downpatrick’s historic buildings listed?

Downpatrick has 78 listed buildings, 3 of them Grade A. They are on its History page, from the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Downpatrick when it is inside NISRA’s settlement development limit, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in NISRA’s Settlement Development Limits 2015 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (14)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.