Last Monday, I finally got my chance to go and see Powerscourt in person. I'd been reading about it for years, even before I moved to Ireland, and on Monday I meet up with fellow blogger, Lorna Sixsmith of Garrendenny Lane Interiors along with Kate Allen, the editor of Munster Interiors. We'd planned to meet up for lunch weeks earlier and finally the day came. And what a day it was...as you can see from all my photographs ( there are many! - had to edit for you but have so many more) it was a glorious day with brilliant sunshine - perfect for viewing the gardens and enjoying the spectacular surrounding landscape.
Powerscourt is touted as being one of the most beautiful estates in all of Ireland and I have to agree. You drive up a long winding drive with views of Sugar Loaf Mountain, past the front of the house (seen here) and then along to the garden pavilion where the car park is located.
You enter through this gate into a courtyard and then on into the shops which includes Avoca and interiors showrooms. The Terrace Cafe, where we had our lunch, overlooks the gardens and I was chomping on the bit to get out there after lunch. I chose a Spanish omelet and three salads for lunch which was perfect and Lorna and I shared some 'death by chocolate' type of dessert - also delicious!
Lorna and Kate had to head off after lunch so I had the garden tour on my own. It was magnificent. As I said earlier, I took loads more photographs but thought I better edit them down a bit for this post. I got so inspired it was hard to resist! You leave the house in back and walk out onto the Upper Terrace which overlooks the Italian Gardens.
There are beautiful iron balustrades with amazing detailing and these curved steps leading down to the next level.
This is the view one level down from the Upper Terrace looking down to the lake.
The steps here are laid out in a mosaic of stones. The designs were wonderful.
Just below that last view point is this fountain with a sundial.
The terraces were constructed between 1843 and 1867 and required tremendous skill to create the correct levels and resolve drainage issues. According to a booklet I bought at the house, "up to a hundred labourers with horses and carts were employed in the work. The terraces were ornamented with statuary, using marble on the upper terrace and bronze on the levels below. The statuary was collected by the 6th and 7th Viscounts from many parts of Europe."
Life size winged horses guard the lake and were part of the family coat of arms. They were made in Berlin in 1869.
The Japanese Garden was added to the estate in 1908.
A view across the lake back towards the house and a beautiful stand of trees with Sugar Loaf Mountain in the distance.
There is a pet cemetery on the estate with dedications for dogs, cats, cows, horses and ponies.
There are many beautiful gates such as this one and here in the Dolphin Pond, which was originally a fish pond, a central fountain brought from Paris by the 7th Viscount in the late 19th century
In the walled gardens there are lush borders - above is the herbaceous border.
And here another gate with a border of hydrangeas.
Having come full circle through the gardens I was back on the Upper Terrace and to my right
found this beautiful view of a gardener working on the path and the late afternoon shadows falling upon the sloped lawns with Sugar Loaf Mountain again serving as a picturesque backdrop.
One of the statues on the Upper Terrace.
As I drove out on my way back home, I stopped to get one last photograph of Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Life size winged horses guard the lake and were part of the family coat of arms. They were made in Berlin in 1869.
The Japanese Garden was added to the estate in 1908.
A view across the lake back towards the house and a beautiful stand of trees with Sugar Loaf Mountain in the distance.
There is a pet cemetery on the estate with dedications for dogs, cats, cows, horses and ponies.
There are many beautiful gates such as this one and here in the Dolphin Pond, which was originally a fish pond, a central fountain brought from Paris by the 7th Viscount in the late 19th century
In the walled gardens there are lush borders - above is the herbaceous border.
And here another gate with a border of hydrangeas.
Having come full circle through the gardens I was back on the Upper Terrace and to my right
found this beautiful view of a gardener working on the path and the late afternoon shadows falling upon the sloped lawns with Sugar Loaf Mountain again serving as a picturesque backdrop.
One of the statues on the Upper Terrace.
As I drove out on my way back home, I stopped to get one last photograph of Sugar Loaf Mountain.
The estate dates back many centuries to the site of the original castle c. 1300. Up until 1731, the castle was attacked on many occasions and went through continual repairs. In 1731 Richard Wingfield, commissioned Richard Castle to transform the castle into a mansion. In 1787 an extra storey was added and more alterations were added well into the 19th century. The house itself contained some of the finest 18th century interiors in Ireland and in 1961 it was purchased by the Slazenger family from the 9th Viscount Powerscourt.
A major refurbishment occurred in 1974 with the aim to open the house and gardens as a visitor attraction. However, tragically a fire broke out and destroyed all the principal rooms. It stood empty for 20 years until 1996 when a regeneration process began and the historic ballroom has been restored and now can be used as a pretigious wedding and gala dinner venue.
Powerscourt House and Gardens are located just south of Bray in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. To find out more and see more images go to http://www.powerscourt.ie/
Am so jealous that you had such a tour of the gardens and on such a glorious day. Thanks for sharing all these pics; I loved them. And Sugarloaf is so inspiring
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