Mount Stewart House and Gardens

May 25

"Mount Stewart House, County Down, Northern Ireland" by BangorArt — "Mount Stewart House, County Down, Northern Ireland" by BangorArt

A Potential UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site

For this garden feature we move north to Mount Stewart, nestled between Strangford Lough on one side and the Irish Sea on the other. It is situated a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey in County Down, it was the Irish seat of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry.

It is widely acknowledged as one of the most spectacular gardens of Western Europe and renowned for the 'extraordinary scope of its plant collections and the originality of its features, which give it world-class status' (excerpt from Mount Stewart's listing on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage tentative list).

A Truly Global Garden

Covering 80 acres and voted one of the top ten gardens in the world, Mount Stewart reflects a rich tapestry of design and planting artistry bearing the hallmark of its creator, Edith. Lady Londonderry’s passion for bold planting schemes coupled with the mild climate of Strangford Lough enables rare and tender plants from across the globe to thrive in this celebrated garden. A series of formal themed gardens (no less than 6!) delight the senses around the house and include The Italian Garden, The Spanish Garden, The Mairi Garden, The Sunk Garden and The Shamrock Garden.

The Mairi garden is named after Lady Edith’s youngest daughter. It has a cockle shell fountain in the center surrounded by Canterbury Bells in blue and white inspired by the nursery rhyme “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow....” A bronze statue now commemorates the birth of Lady Mairi in 1921.

"Lakeside Autumn" by Philip McErlean — "Lakeside Autumn" by Philip McErlean

Inspired by Myths and Legends

There is a shaped Red Hand of Ulster in the Shamrock Garden alongside an Irish harp, which is surrounded by yew hedges clipped into various animal shapes and other creatures, from deer to devils. The Shamrock Garden reflects Edith’s love of Irish mythology and the topiary on top of the Shamrock hedge is a beautifully depicted children’s story.

There are lake walks, statues, the Temple of the Winds, a fernery and Tir na nÓg (land of the young) which is the family burial ground. Lady Edith donated the gardens to the state in 1954 and her daughter Lady Mairi the house in 1977. It is run by the National Trust. You could spend days here and still see something new each time – a definite must-see for the visitor to Ireland.