Winterfell is the ancestral castle and seat of power of House Stark and is considered to be the capital of the North. It is located in the center of the northern province of Westeros. The castle was built over natural hot springs and the water is piped through walls and chambers to heat them, making Winterfell more comfortable than other castles during the harsh northern winters.
Featured In[]
Light to Grieve By
Lost and Found
The Battle of Winterfell
Escape from Winterfell
The Ironborn Invasion
Landmarks[]
| Broken Tower
|
also known as the Burned Tower, was once the tallest watchtower in Winterfell. Over 140 years ago a lightning strike set it afire and the top third collapsed inward, but no one bothered to rebuild it. It stands behind the old inner ward. |
| Crypts
|
where the bones of all of the Kings in the North and ruling lords of Winterfell are buried. The underground crypts are long and narrow, with pillars moving two by two along its length. Between pillars stand the sepulchers of the Starks of Winterfell, the likenesses of the dead seated on thrones, with iron swords set before them to keep the restless spirits from wandering, and snarling direwolves at their feet. The crypts are located deep under the earth, cavernous and bigger than the complex above ground. They are accessed by a twisting stone stair and a huge ironwood door that lies at a slant to the floor. The stair continues below to older levels where the most ancient Kings in the North are entombed. |
| The Glass Garden
|
a greenhouse heated by the hot springs underneath Winterfell, which turn it into a place of moist warmth. It is used to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers. |
| The Godswood
|
an ancient godswood that has stood untouched for 10,000 years, with three acres of old packed earth and close together trees creating a dense canopy, which the castle of Winterfell was raised around. At the center of the grove stands an ancient weirwood with a face carved into it, standing over a pool of black water. Across the godswood from the heart tree, beneath the windows of the Guest House, an underground hot spring feeds three small pools, with a moss covered wall looming above them. The godswood is enclosed by walls, and is accessed by a main iron gate, or smaller wooden ones. |
| Winter Town
|
so-called because it lies mostly deserted during summer years, Winter Town is where smallfolk gather in winters. It is located outside the walls of Winterfell. Its market square is filled with wooden stalls for merchants, while its streets are muddy and lined with rows of houses made from log and undressed stone. Less than one in five are occupied during the summer, but they fill up once winter arrives. The Kingsroad sits beyond the Winter Town, which would put it to the east of Winterfell. There is an inn in the Winter Town. |