Castle Upton is situated in the village of Templepatrick, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is around 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 Viscounts Templetown, who remained in possession until the 20th century. The castle was remodelled in the 1780s to designs by Robert Adam, who also designed the stable block now known as 'Adam Yard'. Upton was purchased in 1963 by 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. In 2016 the property was placed on the market by Kinahan's son Danny Kinahan MP. The property is now owned by the Hughes family. History 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. Sir Robert Norton, an officer under Sir Arthur Chichester, Governor of Carrickfergus, obtained lands along the Six Mile Water, and started work on the castle in the late 16th century, building what is now the east wing. 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. The castle was purchased in 1625 by Captain Henry Upton, who had served under the Earl of Essex, and was renamed for his own family. Upton became Member of Parliament for Carrickfergus in 1634, and several of his descendants served as Members for Carrickfergus and for Antrim County. The family supported the protestant William III in the war against the Catholic James II. In 1776, Clotworthy Upton (1721–1785) was created Baron Templetown after serving in the household of 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