Crom Estate

Crom Estate lies beside Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is a nature reserve of 1,350 acres mainly covered by riverside forest. Some of the trees are so old that paths are closed to protect them. The estate borders the Barony of Coole, with Inisherk island just inside the neighbouring Barony of Knockninny. Three National Trust properties exist in Fermanagh, and Crom is one of them. Plans were announced in 2026 for Springwatch to be broadcast from Crom, marking the first time the programme will be based outside Great Britain. The estate shows traces of its past in stone ruins and garden walls. A 17th-century castle built by Michael Balfour still stands after two Jacobite raids and a fire in the 1760s. In 1840 a new Crom Castle was designed by Edward Blore in neo-Tudor style and remains the private home of the Earl of Erne. The estate was gifted to the National Trust in 1987 by the 6th Earl of Erne. A regatta in 2010 recreated 1890s races on the lough, with classic yachts mooring each evening off the boathouse in Crom Bay. Visitors walk through riparian woodland and along the lough shore. Remains of the old castle and the bowling green can be seen. Several cottages on the estate are available to rent. Views stretch across Upper Lough Erne to Inishfendra Island and the distant castle. The quiet waters and ancient trees create a place where wildlife thrives. Springwatch’s arrival will bring more visitors to watch the changing seasons on the estate.