Day 1
Distance: Approximately 16km
Morning
Festina Lente Victorian Walled Gardens, County Wicklow
Surrounded by walls built in the 1780s and beautifully restored to their original design, the Festina Lente Victorian Walled Gardens are one of Wicklow’s true hidden gems. Like a secret paradise close to the town of Bray, this delightful space richly evokes the past with a working kitchen garden that harks back to the Victorian era when it was used to provide Old Connaught House with its fruit, herbs and vegetables. The Ornamental Formal Garden and Pool Garden accentuate the charm of a bygone era and overflow with an abundance of plants and flowers. Garden tours are available for groups and parking is available on site. The gardens are open all year round.
Killruddery House and Garden, County Wicklow
Home to the Brabazon family since 1618, Killruddery’s formal layout was conceived by the French gardener Bonet in 1682. Today, Killruddery is one of the few remaining 17th century gardens in Ireland and boasts a romantic and elegant atmosphere with long ponds, lime walks and wooded areas overlooked by an imposing Elizabethan-Revival mansion. Used frequently as a film set and with the Sugar Loaf Mountain as its backdrop, Killruddery’s beauty unfurls in every direction. As well as the vast gardens, highlights include the ornamental elegance of the Orangery, designed in 1852 and boasting a glass roof and dome and marble statues, and the walled garden, which supplies the tea rooms with vegetables, salads, herbs and fruit. Guided tours of the house and gardens are available. The gardens are open daily from May to September, and on weekends from October to April.
Lunch
Lunch in the tea rooms in Killruddery House.
Afternoon
Powerscourt Estate, County Wicklow
Framed on one side by an impressive 18th century mansion and on the other by the Wicklow Mountains, Powerscourt is justly famous for the sheer beauty of its setting. Here, 47 acres of gardens are tailor-made for wandering, exploring and getting lost with terraces that tumble down to a charming ornamental lake, Japanese gardens, wooded areas and a walled garden. Originally designed in 1731, the gardens were voted by National Geographic as one of the top three gardens in the world and are one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions. Open all year round, there is a café, craft shop and doll’s museum on site. Tours are self-guided and coach parking and discounted group rates are available. Powerscourt Waterfall (Ireland’s highest) is close to the estate and a visit here can also be incorporated into the afternoon.
Evening
Overnight in the Summerhill House Hotel, on the outskirts of the charming village of Enniskerry. The famous Johnnie Fox’s pub, a short drive from here in the Dublin Mountains, provides nightly traditional Irish music and dancing.