Castle Upton

{{Short description|Castle in the United Kingdom}} {{Distinguish|text=[[Upton Castle]] in Wales}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}

[[File:Castle Upton Templepatrick - geograph.org.uk - 1075910.jpg|thumb|Castle Upton, plantation castle and country house. |293x293px]]

'''Castle Upton''' is situated in the village of [[Templepatrick]], in [[County Antrim]], [[Northern Ireland]]. It is around {{convert|12|mi}} north-west of [[Belfast]]. Originally the site of a 13th-century fortified priory of the [[Knights of St John]], the present building was constructed around 1610 by the Norton family who settled here during the [[Plantation of Ulster]]. Soon after, it was bought by the Upton family, later the [[Viscount Templetown|Viscounts Templetown]], who remained in possession until the 20th century and whose family mausoleum is accessible to the public in the adjacent Templetown Old Burial Ground. The castle was remodelled in the 1780s to designs by the Scottish [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] architect [[Robert Adam]], who also designed the stable block now known as 'Adam Yard'. Upton was purchased in 1963 by [[Robin Kinahan|Sir Robin Kinahan]] and [[Coralie de Burgh]], by which time it was in a poor state of repair. Following restoration the Adam Yard was converted to housing, and the castle later opened as a wedding venue.

==History== [[File:17th Century grave market Castle Upton.jpg|left|thumb|17th century grave marker in the former castle burial ground]] It is sometimes stated that Castle Upton contains parts of the earlier priory buildings, but other sources conclude that no part of the building predates the work of the Norton family. Even the existence of a house of the Knights of St John at this site has been questioned, due to lack of evidence.<ref name=database>{{cite web |url=https://apps.communities-ni.gov.uk/Buildings/buildview.aspx?id=14625&js=false |title=Castle Upton |work=Northern Ireland Buildings Database |publisher=Department for Communities}}</ref><ref name=nismr>{{cite web |url=https://apps.communities-ni.gov.uk/NISMR-PUBLIC/Details.aspx?MonID=3679 |title=Order of St. John Of Jerusalem, Upton Castle, Upton Mausoleum, Hugh De Logan's Town |work=[[Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record]] |publisher=Department for Communities }} (Including PDF document linked to the record).</ref> Sir Robert Norton, an officer under [[Sir Arthur Chichester]], Governor of Carrickfergus, obtained lands along the [[Six Mile Water]],<ref>{{cite journal |title=Sir Arthur Chichester, Lord Deputy of Ireland, (died 1624) |first=Joseph Francis |last=Bigger |journal=Ulster Journal of Archaeology |volume=X |year= 1904 |url=https://archive.org/details/ulsterjournalofa10ulstiala |page=8}}</ref> and started work on the castle in the late 16th century, building what is now the east wing.<ref name=nismr/> This work was completed by Sir Humphrey Norton in the first part of the 17th century, and like many castles of the Plantation period was surrounded by a [[bawn]] wall.<ref name=database/>

The castle was purchased in 1625 by Captain Henry Upton, who had served under the [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex|Earl of Essex]], and was renamed for his own family. Upton became [[Parliament of Ireland|Member of Parliament]] for [[Carrickfergus (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Carrickfergus]] in 1634, and several of his descendants served as Members for Carrickfergus and for [[County Antrim (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|County Antrim]]. The family supported the Protestant [[William III of England|William III]] in the war against the Catholic [[James II of England|James II]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h_U8AQAAIAAJ&dq=baron+templetown+peerage&pg=PA1026 |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire |first=Henry |last=Colburn |year=1839 |page=1026}}</ref> In 1776, [[Clotworthy Upton, 1st Baron Templetown|Clotworthy Upton]] (1721–1785) was created [[Baron Templetown]] after serving in the household of [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|Princess Augusta]], dowager Princess of Wales. Lord Templetown commissioned Scottish architect Robert Adam to remodel Castle Upton in a castellated style. Although Adam never visited Ireland his scheme was mostly carried out, including alterations to the roof line and the addition of the north wing. Adam also designed a mausoleum and a stable block, comprising a double courtyard to the north-east of the house. This was completed in 1789,<ref name=database/> after [[John Upton, 1st Viscount Templetown|John Upton]] had succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Templetown. He sat in the British House of Commons from 1802 to 1812 as one of two representatives for [[Bury St Edmunds (UK Parliament constituency)|Bury St Edmunds]], and in 1806 he was created Viscount Templetown.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/upton-john-henry-1771-1846 |title=UPTON, John Henry, 2nd Baron Templetown [I] (1771-1846), of Castle Upton, co. Antrim. |work=The History of Parliament |accessdate=15 November 2017}}</ref> His successor Henry Montagu Upton, 2nd Viscount Templetown (1799–1863), commissioned [[Edward Blore]] to remodel the house in 1837.<ref name=database/>

During the first half of the 20th century, Castle Upton was sold by the Upton family. The Adam alterations to the roof were removed, and the Adam wing fell into disrepair.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} In 1963 the semi-ruined house was purchased by Sir Robin Kinahan, a prominent businessman and former [[Lord Mayor of Belfast]], for £53,000. His wife, the artist Coralie de Burgh, guided the restoration of Castle Upton over the succeeding years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-robin-kinahan-1263755.html |title=Obituary: Sir Robin Kinahan |work=The Independent |date=26 May 1997}}</ref> Improvements were continued by their son, [[Danny Kinahan]] and his wife Anna, who later opened the castle as a wedding venue. In 2016 the Kinahans placed Castle Upton on the market for £1.35m.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/ulster-unionist-mp-danny-kinahan-selling-his-historic-castle-upton-home-for-135m-34651674.html |title=Ulster Unionist MP Danny Kinahan selling his historic Castle Upton home for £1.35m |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=23 April 2016 }}</ref>

==Architecture== [[File:Templetown Mausoleum.jpg|thumb|Templetown Mausoleum, National Trust property.]] One section of the castle, the wrecked Adam wing, was later reconstructed. This wing, now contains a ballroom in which an Italian, marble chimney has been added. The owners of this castle obtained this chimney from Downhill Castle in [[County Londonderry]]. The stable block was built from architectural copies of the now demolished old Fish Market of Leith, near [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]].{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}

== Templepatrick burial ground == The adjacent graveyard contains the Upon family Templetown Mausoleum. Built in 1789 to the design of [[Robert Adam]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Templetown Mausoleum Monumental Tomb |url=https://visitantrimandnewtownabbey.com/things-to-do/heritage-attractions/templetown-mausoleum-monumental-tomb/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Visit Antrim & Newtownabbey |language=en}}</ref> it commemorates among others, [[George Upton, 3rd Viscount Templetown|George Upton, 3rd Viscount Templeton]], [[Crimean War]] veteran, [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]], and "[[Gold Stick in Waiting]]" to [[Queen Victoria]].

The [[Protestant Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] family shares the burial ground with the remains of [[William Orr (United Irishman)|William Orr]],<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uk8ewX4Q-Y |title=Declan Kearney Video Diary: Remembering United Irishman William Orr in Templepatrick today |date=2017-10-14 |last=South Antrim Sinn Féin |access-date=2025-04-13 |via=YouTube}}</ref> the [[Society of United Irishmen|United Irishmen]] whose execution was invoked in the rebel cry "Remember Orr" during the [[Battle of Antrim]] in 1798,<ref name="Speeches From the Dock">{{cite book |last=Cellaigh |first=Seán Ua |title=Speeches From the Dock, or Protests of Irish Patriotism |publisher=M.H. Gill & Son |year=1953 |location=Dublin}}</ref> and the [[Geneva]]-educated preacher [[Josias Welsh]], grandson of [[John Knox]], the [[Scottish Reformation|Scottish Reformer]].

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:1610 establishments in Ireland]] [[Category:Houses completed in 1610]] [[Category:Houses completed in 1783]] [[Category:Castles in County Antrim|Upton]] [[Category:Grade A listed buildings]] [[Category:Castles and fortifications of the Knights Hospitaller]]