The Dreadfort

"Let me send word to my bastard at the Dreadfort."

- Roose Bolton to Robb Stark

The Dreadfort is a castle, and regional capital of the North. It is the seat of House Bolton, located on the banks of the Weeping Water east of Winterfell. The Dreadfort is ill-omened as the stronghold of House Bolton, who are famed for the flayed skins of their enemies, often rumored to have been kept on display in the castle, including those of several ancient Stark kings. However, if such gruesome trophies ever did exist they have long since been removed or destroyed.

Season 2
Word of Winterfell's capture by Theon Greyjoy reaches the Dreadfort's garrison. This news is then relayed to Roose Bolton via messenger ravens.

Season 3
After being betrayed by his crew and delivered to Ramsay Snow, Theon Greyjoy is imprisoned at a torture chamber at the Dreadfort. In the course of several months, he is subjected to a number of horrific tortures, both physical and psychological.

Notable residents

 * Lord Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort and Warden of the North. Currently in the Twins.
 * Ramsay Snow, his natural son, castellan of the Dreadfort
 * Prince Theon Greyjoy, dubbed "Reek", prisoner and hostage of Ramsay.
 * Myranda and Violet, Ramsay's bedwarmers.

Behind the scenes
Myra Castle in County Down, Northern Ireland serves as the exterior for the Dreadfort in the fourth season.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the Dreadfort has a similar history of dissent and rebellion. Three centuries after the founding of Karhold, the Starks finally crushed the Boltons in a war that saw the Dreadfort besieged for two years. The Dreadfort is built around volcanic vents, which heat the castle in a similar manner to the natural hot springs under Winterfell.