THE first castle was built here by Sir Edward Blennerhassett in 1612. The castle and the estate were sold to the Caldwell family in 1662. The castle was extensively improved by Sir James Caldwell [4th Baronet].
Writing in 1778 to his son John who was in Canada, Sir James tells of having spent £16,000 (about £2.2 million in today's money) on Castle Caldwell.
Two large walled gardens with fish ponds were constructed and the lands which extended to 700 acres were improved. Sir John Caldwell [5th Baronet] inherited the estate after the death of his father in 1784.
During the last decade of the 18th century Sir John also carried out extensive modifications to the castle and a museum was added to the east wing with six new rooms above it.
The museum contained rare Irish antiquities, items from abroad and a large collection of stuffed birds and animals from other countries.
The fortunes of the estate declined during the latter half of the 19th century. The contents of the castle were auctioned in 1876 and from this date it rapidly declined into a ruin.
THE Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesne of Special Historic Interest in Northern Ireland states that "much of the demesne was sold off to the Wigan Mining Company and the Scottish Insurance Company in the 1870s, with the castle and demesne lands put up for auction in 1877. Although the castle does not appear to have been sold, it was not re-occupied by the Bloomfield family on a permanent basis, and was noted by the valuers in 1884 as "dilapidated ... [and] going to ruin." It was reduced to a shell by a fire in the early 1900s, and "in ruins" by 1912. In 1913 the demesne was bought by the Forestry Commission."
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