The title of Gilford Castle has been appended to a number of buildings over the centuries.
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In the early 1860’s, Glasgow architect William Spence (1806 – 83) was commissioned to design and build Elmfield House on the outskirts of Gilford village for James Dickson, one of the ‘linen lords’ of the area. Spence was then commissioned to build a further house, the current Gilford Castle, at the opposite end of the village for a younger brother, Mr. Benjamin Dickson JP. Built c.1865 the structure of the Castle is made up of Portland and Scrabo stone and is generally considered to be Scots Baronial style. The main features include a slender turret at the entrance topped by a candle snuffer roof, a further small corbelled turret is positioned to the side of the house and many intricate details are carved over the multiplicity of bay windows and at the top of the entrance columns supporting a balustrade.
Situated in 260 acres of attractive woodland over the River Bann the grounds and castle have been used, over recent years, for various public events including art exhibitions and game fairs.