Thrilling Thrones tour fit for a king

AMAN dressed in furs hands me a longbow and a quiver of arrows and says: ‘ Welcome to Winterfell, the home of Game Of Thrones.’

I am standing in the courtyard of Castle Ward – a stunning National Trust property on the shores of Strangford Lough – which is at the heart of a set tour inspired by the hit drama.

In one scene from the show, young Bran Stark proves his prowess with the longbow, all under the watchful eye of Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington.

Soon it is my turn to show what I can do, but I must confess I need more practice before I reach Bran and Jon’s exacting standards in striking the target.

HBO, the American TV network behind the Game Of Thrones, has been filming in Northern Ireland ever since the pilot was screened almost ten years ago. Many of the show’s prime locations are still an undiscovered treasure to many.

Castle Ward was Winterfell for the first series only – scenes are now shot at an enormous custombuilt set deep in the County Antrim countryside. However, there are plenty of other attractions in Northern Ireland to excite fans. The Dark Hedges – an avenue of beech trees planted in the 18th Century – form an atmospheric tunnel known as the King’s Road. And Shane’s Castle, on the shores of Lough Neagh, was where the Hand’s Tourney was staged.

Even if you are not glued to the many plot twists and turns, the trail will still be an adventure. I sped through the area of Castle Ward that doubles as the Whispering Wood before finding myself alongside the lough.

After my day at Winterfell came to an end, I travelled to the nearby village of Strangford to rest for the evening. The local bed-and-breakfast, The Cuan, hosted many of the actors from the show during filming, including Sean Bean and Maisie Williams.

The hotel’s restaurant has even been transformed into a hall for feasting, with family banners adorning the walls. The dishes all come from George R. R. Martin’s novels and include cod cakes, honey-roasted chicken in roasted onions, and direwolf butter.

Northern Ireland has a tumultu-

WELCOME TO WINTERFELL: Castle Ward and, right, Bran and Jon in the hit show

ous past, but with HBO bringing one of the world’s most popular TV series to its shores, there is no shortage of visitors wanting to follow in the footsteps of Jon Snow.