Winterfell

Winterfell is the ancestral castle and seat of power of House Stark and is considered to be the capital of the north. It is in the center of the northernmost province of the Seven Kingdoms, on the kingsroad that runs from Storm's End to the Wall. It is situated at the eastern edge of the wolfswood, north of the western branch of the White Knife and Castle Cerwyn. Winterfell is south of the northern mountains and southwest of Long Lake,[1] one hundred leagues (three hundred miles) southeast of Deepwood Motte. According to legend, Winterfell was built by Brandon the Builder, who was aided by giants after the Long Night ended eight thousand years ago. Maesters believe it was built in pieces over different eras, since the ancient Starks did not level the ground and plan it as a single structure. Some scholars have suggested there were once linked ringforts where Winterfell now stands. For most of recorded history Winterfell was the seat of House Stark.