DRIVING past the remains of ruined gatehouses and a railway bridge, you can imagine what the entrance to Castle Caldwell was like in its heyday.

Set on the upper stretches of Lough Erne, you’ll find that the castle estate – which has been taken over by a forest and greenery – is a beautiful place to visit whatever the weather.

With views for miles down the lough, and walks around the peninsula to take it all in, it is hard to argue with the choice of location by Sir Francis Blennerhasset, who first built here in the 17th Century as part of the Ulster Plantation.

When trains used to reach this far-flung part of Ireland, one would pass over the castle entrance and gatehouses while horses and carriages trundled along underneath.

According to information provided by the Marble Arch Caves Global UNESCO Geopark, in which the castle is located, the origins of Castle Caldwell can be traced back to when it was built by Sir Francis between 1612-1619.

During this period, the house was named Hassett’s Fort, according to the Geopark.

The estate was bought by Sir James Caldwell, part of a merchant family in Enniskillen, in the 1660s, giving the name for which the castle ruin and grounds is still known by today.

In the 1770s, a descendant of Sir James, who went by the same Caldwell name, spent £16,000 – a more than princely sum back then – renovating the house and transforming the estate with elaborately landscaped grounds.

Later, in the 1800s, a Mr. Bloomfield married a woman of Caldwell descent, and the estate passed over to him.

His son, John Caldwell Bloomfield, inherited the estate along with the village of Belleek in 1840.

Rich mineral deposits

He commissioned a geological survey of the area and discovered rich mineral deposits, used at Belleek Pottery, which was founded by John Bloomfield.

There is a rumour that a road ran straight from the estate to the factory in the village.

Laying against one of the gatehouses is a large stone, made in memory of Denis McCabe, a fiddler who fell off St. Patrick’s Barge in 1770.

It reads: “To the memory of Denis M’Cabe, Fiddler, who fell out of the St. Patrick Barge belonging to Sir James Caldwell Bart and Count of Milan, and was drowned off this point, August 15, 1770.

“Beware ye Fiddlers of ye Fiddler’s fate, nor tempt ye deep lest you repent too late. You ever have deemed to water foes, then shun ye lake till it with whiskey flows.

“On Firm land only – Exercise your skill, there you may play, and safely drink your fill. D.D.D.J.J.”

The stone was originally placed at the point of Rossbeg peninsula, and was moved a number of times before being placed at the entrance to the forest.

Today, the Castle Caldwell site is a sprawling 200-hectare forest, but it is easy to see why the area was an enticing place to live for generations down the centuries.

Located on the shores of Lough Erne, the peninsula upon which the modern forest grows is a beautiful setting.

While the Caldwell estate lies in ruins today, you can picture the commanding view it once had of Lough Erne in its heyday, and with a diverse range of insects, birds and animals calling it their home, it is still a spectacular area to walk in.

While the castle’s former grandeur has decayed, it cannot be missed, and behind the ivy-laden facade that clings on to the castle – as well as the captivating ruins of a church that is also on the estate – there is plenty to pique one’s interest.