Overview
Templehouse Lake (Irish: Loch Theach an Teampla) lies near Ballymote in County Sligo. It is a shallow, reed-fringed lake beside Temple House, an estate the Perceval family has held since 1665, and it is better known to anglers than to anyone else. The lake and nearby wetlands are important habitats for wildlife. Fed by the Owenmore River at its southern end, it drains north again toward the Ballysadare River.
One thing to be clear about: this is private land. The shores beside Temple House form part of a private estate, and Templehouse Lake is not a turn-up-and-wander lakeshore. The estate’s activity information lists rowing boats for residents and other activities by arrangement. Ask the owner about current booking, fishing and water access before travelling. Use the arrival directions for your booking and leave private shores and entrances clear. If you are not a guest or have no arranged visit, there is little to see from a public road.
History & The Crannogs
The lake’s most distinctive feature is its crannogs, small artificial islands built up from timber, brushwood and stone and used as defended dwellings by early communities. Several dot the water, and they mark the lake as a place people have lived on and around for a very long time, though they have never been closely dated.
The shore has its own layers. A ruined castle stands by the water, said to date from around 1181 and to have been built by the Knights Templar, a rectangular, keepless tower that gave the estate (‘Temple House’) its name. The Perceval family took over in 1665, and the Georgian manor that overlooks the lake today was built around 1825 and substantially extended around 1864. Castle ruin, big house and lake sit within a single view, a rough timeline of the place from the twelfth century to the nineteenth.
Wildlife & Conservation
Templehouse Lake is part of the Templehouse and Cloonacleigha Loughs Special Area of Conservation, protected as a hard-water lake habitat under the EU Habitats Directive (NPWS site code 000636). The NPWS site synopsis gives the habitat context.
The lake supports coarse fish including pike, perch, roach and bream, along with the critically endangered European eel. Winter brings wildfowl such as teal, wigeon, mallard, tufted duck and goldeneye on the open water, with lapwing and curlew on the margins, and mute swans, great crested grebes and herons are around for much of the year. Because of the SAC status, keep noise down, do not feed the birds, and stay off the reed beds, especially in the nesting season.
Practical Information
- Access: the lake is part of a private estate. Contact the owner through the Temple House website about guest boating, fishing or other arranged visits before travelling.
- Booking: water activities are by arrangement, so book ahead rather than turning up.
- Getting there: Temple House is near Ballymote, south of Sligo town. Follow the arrival directions you are given with your booking.
- Conservation etiquette: take litter home, keep boat speeds low and stay off the reed beds.
Nearby Attractions
- Caves of Keash – ancient limestone chambers and hilltop walks on Keash Hill (Caves of Keash)
- Ballymote – a historic town nearby with a medieval castle (Ballymote)
- Benbulben – the county’s landmark flat-topped mountain, with marked walking routes, further north (Benbulben)