Crom Estate
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The Crom Estate (pronounced crumb) is a nature reserve located in the south of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland along the shores of Upper Lough Erne. It is one of three estates owned and managed by the National Trust in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Court and Castle Coole mansions.
The estate comprises 1350 acres, composed primarily of riparian forest. Some trees are so ancient that physical access is restricted.
Like many Ulster country estates, the first house at Crom was built by a Scottish Planter at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1611, Michael Balfour, the Laird of Mountwhinney, constructed a house on the lough shore opposite Inishfendra Island. Following the usual pattern for a Plantation castle, it was built of lime and stone and enclosed within a bawn. The ruins of this castle still survive today. The more recent 19th century neo-Tudor Crom Castle, designed by Scottish architect Edward Blore, remains the property of the Earl of Erne and is not open to the public.
