'Every year I'm blown away' says Fiona Bruce, as the Antiques Roadshow comes to Co Down Victorian castle this July

The long-running TV series is bringing its wealth of experts to Bangor, where a landmark building once owned by the Ward family of Irish nobility will host the show – and, no doubt, thousands of people eager to find out if their treasured heirlooms might have them sitting on a fortune.

Specialists will be there covering jewellery, silver, ceramics, glass, pictures, rare books, clocks, watches, militaria and a wide range of collectables from vintage fashion and furniture to film and music memorabilia.

The show’s jaunt to Bangor Castle on July 26 is the only Ulster date announced for this summer’s filming schedule. It’s also the first time the programme has come to Northern Ireland in two years; last year it didn’t visit the province, though it came to Belfast in 2024 and Londonderry in 2023.

And eager fans will certainly have fine surroundings in the grade A listed landmark, which dates to the 1850s – though there have been stately homes on the same location overlooking Bangor as far back as the plantation of Ulster, more than 400 years ago.

The castle was commissioned by the Hon Robert Edward Ward and passed into the hands of his daughter, who lived there with her husband, the 5th Baron Clanmorris, until their deaths. In the 1940s it was bought by the local council, and currently serves as its headquarters – though as the Antiques Roadshow is filming on a Sunday, crowds of heirloom-carrying visitors won’t have to worry about bumping into office staff while cameras are rolling.

Bangor mayor Gillian McCollum said the TV show is “a fantastic opportunity for people to showcase their treasured items in a beautiful and much‑loved setting”, adding: “Bangor has a strong sense of community and heritage, and we look forward to welcoming the team and discovering the remarkable stories that will emerge.”

The programme is filming its 49th series this summer, and its producers hope for some stunning finds after recent years saw everything from ceramics by Picasso to a medal for gallantry awarded to a pigeon, a rare Oasis demo tape, a cartoon by John Lennon, valuable watches by Omega and Patek Phillippe, and a jewel-encrusted ballerina brooch valued at £40,000 to £50,000 turn up in front of the delighted eyes of experts.

Host Fiona Bruce, now in her 19th series of the show, said she’s looking forward to “meeting our visitors and hearing the personal stories behind their objects”.

She added: “Every year I’m blown away by the variety and volume of objects shared with our team of specialists. There are always exciting moments of suspense and surprise when it comes to valuations, as well as reassuring appearances of old favourites from diamond jewellery to fine china.”

Ticket applications are open now at https://lostintv.com/tv-show?id=1418

In recent years Bangor Castle has been used to stage arts events, while its classic Victorian architecture and upper-crust interiors featuring stained-glass windows have made it a popular wedding venue.

Last summer the council kicked off moves to turn it into a privately-operated boutique hotel, something its officials admit has been greeted with a mixed reception by the public.