Listings

Antrim Castle Gardens & Clotworthy House

The Antrim Castle Gardens site is an absolute gem and you will find nothing like these 400 year old gardens anywhere else. A recent £6m restoration project which received generous support from Heritage Lottery Fund has now preserved this historic site for generations to come.

The Gardens sit within the conservation area of Antrim town with its recently restored Old Courthouse, Barbican Gate and Town Walls. The proximity of the Gardens to the Lough Shore Park and Antrim Forum Complex, linked by scenic walks along the Sixmilewater River, offer a unique destination where a range of leisure and sporting activities can be enjoyed by everyone.

The Gardens are a unique living museum, with layer upon layer of design features and planting added over the centuries. Indeed, rarely is so much history preserved on one site. The many exceptional features include the ancient Motte, the Large Parterre, the Yew Tree Pond and the Pleasure Gardens.

The Italianate Tower, the only remaining remnant of Antrim Castle, has been preserved and the Castle ‘footprint’ and grand entrance have been marked out, giving an insight into the scale and layout of the once magnificent building.

Clotworthy House, the original Castle stables, and the surrounding buildings have been re-designed with increased emphasis on garden heritage facilities and exhibits on the Massereene story, the history and evolution of the Gardens and myths and legends associated with the site. Refurbished conference facilities are provided in the Massereene and Skeffington rooms. The Garden Cafe is open daily serving high quality, affordable food. The Garden Shop has an array of goods designed to tempt! In keeping with the garden setting, heritage seed collections and starter kits for herbs and spices are also on sale together with books on subjects such as garden history, design and plants.

The brand new light-filled Oriel Gallery provides a unique backdrop to a wide ranging series of exhibitions, guaranteeing something for everyone.

The Eyre Studio has something really different. A grass roof! While this might seem a bit of a novelty it has real benefits as it helps to insulate the building, reducing heat loss and reducing the noise of rain water.

The Wolfhound

The wolfhound, reputed to have saved the life of Sir Hugh Clotworthy’s wife lady Marian, immortalised in stone and one of the earliest found in Ireland, has recently been relocated to the new courtyard at Clotworthy House.

The gardens recently featured in BBC’s Countryfile.

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