Castlerock

Castlerock is a seaside village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is five miles west of Coleraine and part of the Causeway Coast and Glens district.

The village is popular with visitors in the summer. There are many places to stay, such as apartment buildings and spots for caravans.

Castlerock has a golf club with two courses. One course has nine holes and the other has eighteen holes. The courses are near the beach, close to the River Bann and the Belfast to Derry railway line.

Nearby, the team from Articlave F.C. plays its home games in the village.

History

Castlerock has many interesting old buildings and places. One famous spot is the ruined Downhill House, built by Bishop Frederick Hervey in the 1780s. Near there stands the Mussenden Temple, a beautiful building on a cliff that many people visit to take photos. Another old building is Hezlett House, a thatched cottage from the 1600s.

During a difficult time called the Troubles, Castlerock saw only one serious incident. In 1993, a group known as the Ulster Freedom Fighters sadly killed four men. This was part of the larger conflict in Northern Ireland.

Demography

Castlerock is a village in Northern Ireland. It has between 1,000 and 2,250 people.

In 2001, there were 1,336 people living in Castlerock. About half were male, and half were female. Most people identified as Protestant. Some identified as Catholic, other religions, or no religion at all.

By 2011, the population had dropped to 1,256 people. Fewer people identified as Protestant, and more identified with no religion.

In 2021, the population was 1,155 people. There were more older people aged 65 or more, and fewer younger people. The trend of more people identifying with no religion continued, and the share identifying as Protestant also fell.

Transport

Castlerock railway station opened on 18 July 1853. Today, NI Railways runs trains about every hour. Trains go west to Derry~Londonderry or east to Coleraine and then on to Belfast. On Sundays, there are only five trains in each direction. Ulsterbus services also run, matching the train times. They go either west towards Limavady or east to Coleraine.

Facilities

Castlerock has a summer camp called Guysmere Summer Camp. It is owned and run by the Presbyterian Church.

The Castlerock Golf Club has two courses. The Mussendan course has 18 holes and the Bann course has 9 holes.

Education

Castlerock has a primary school named Hezlett Primary School. Another school, Ballyhacket Primary School, closed in 2021 because there were not enough students.

People

The actor James Nesbitt lived in Castlerock when he was a teenager.

The famous author C. S. Lewis, who was born in Belfast, often visited Castlerock as a child. He used Downhill House as inspiration for parts of his book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.