Winterfell

"There must always be a Stark in Winterfell."

- Catelyn Stark



Winterfell is the seat of House Stark. It is a large castle located at the center of the North, from where the head of House Stark rules over his people. It is the capital of the North under King Robb Stark. The castle is located alongside the Kingsroad as it makes its way from the Wall to the capital at King's Landing, more than a thousand miles to the south. It is situated atop hot springs which keep the castle warm even in the worst winters. Winding tombs below the castle contain the remains of Stark kings and lords and record the history of the ancient family. The castle has stood for millennia.

The castle is put to the torch by Ramsay Snow after Theon Greyjoy was betrayed by his own crew.

Notable residents of the castle

 * Lord {Eddard Stark}, the Lord of Winterfell, the ruler of the castle. Executed under charges of treason in King's Landing.
 * His wife, Lady {Catelyn Stark}, killed at the Red Wedding, and their five children.
 * King {Robb I}, their eldest son and the new King in the North, betrayed and murdered at the Red Wedding.
 * Princess Sansa Stark, a captive in King's Landing.
 * Princess Arya Stark, missing in the Riverlands.
 * Prince Bran Stark, traveling beyond the Wall. Publicly believed dead.
 * Prince Rickon Stark, traveling to Last Hearth. Publicly believed dead.
 * Jon Snow, Eddard Stark's bastard son. Now serving in the Night's Watch.
 * Theon Greyjoy, raised at Winterfell as Eddard Stark's ward and hostage for his father's good behavior. Abandoned the Stark cause and joined his father Balon in the War of the Five Kings. He took over Winterfell and installed himself as Prince of Winterfell until he was betrayed by his own crew shortly after. Now a captive of Ramsay Snow, the Bastard of the Dreadfort.
 * Ser {Rodrik Cassel}, the master-of-arms at Winterfell, in charge of training fresh recruits with weapons. Executed by Theon Greyjoy.
 * {Jory Cassel}, captain of the castle guard and nephew of Rodrik Cassel. Killed in King's Landing by Ser Jaime Lannister.
 * {Vayon Poole}, steward of Winterfell. Executed in King's Landing during the purge of the Stark household.
 * Jeyne Poole, his daughter. Whereabouts unknown.
 * {Luwin}, the castle's maester. Euthanized at his own request by Osha.
 * {Mordane}, a septa and governess for Sansa and Arya Stark. Executed in King's Landing during the purge of the Stark household.
 * {Old Nan}, a former retainer and servant, now retired. She still tells the Stark children stories about life in times gone by.
 * Hodor, Old Nan's grandson or great-grandson, a simpleton stableboy. Accompanying Bran.
 * Osha, a captive wilding working as a servant. Accompanying Rickon.
 * Farlen, kennelmaster at Winterfell. Whereabouts unknown as of the Sack of Winterfell.
 * Palla, his daughter. Whereabouts unknown as of the Sack of Winterfell.

Behind the scenes
For the television series, a variety of locations were used to create Winterfell as it appears on screen. For the pilot episode, Doune Castle in Scotland was used for some exterior shots and the great feast held when King Robert Baratheon and his party arrive. Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland was used for the scenes of sparring in Winterfell's castle yard and the arrival of Robert's party at Winterfell's gates. The rest of the castle, including the other interiors and the scenes involving Bran climbing the walls, were filmed as interiors at the Paint Hall studio facility in Belfast.

For the first season itself, Castle Ward was the principle filming location for the Winterfell scenes. Doune Castle was not revisited.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Winterfell is a huge castle complex spanning several acres, consisting of two massive walls with a ditch between them and a village located just outside. The complex consists of many buildings and keeps, some ancient and decrepit, some in good repair. According to legend, Winterfell was built by Bran the Builder eight thousand years ago.