Page 288 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

286  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

z Mount Stewart House

This grand 19th-century house has a splendid interior, and the magnificent gardens are the
main attraction. These were planted only in the 1920s, but the exotic plants and trees have
thrived in the area’s subtropical microclimate. Now owned by the National Trust, Mount
Stewart used to belong to the Londonderry family, the most famous of whom was Lord
Castlereagh, British Foreign Secretary from 1812 until his death in 1822. The house and its
treasures have benefited from a major restoration project by the National Trust.

. Shamrock Garden
A yew hedge in the shape
of a shamrock encloses this
topiary Irish harp and a striking
flower- bed designed in the form
of a red hand, emblem of Ulster.

Italian Garden
The flowers in the Italian Garden, the largest of the
formal gardens, are planted so that strong oranges
and reds on the east side contrast with the softer
pinks, whites and blues on the west. Statues depict
the story of Homer’s Odyssey.

KEY
1 The Spanish Garden is 5 The Music Room has a beautiful
framed by a neat arcade of clipped inlaid floor of mahogany and oak.
cypress trees.
6 The Dining Room contains
2 Fountain 22 chairs used at the Congress of
3 The Sunk Garden comprises Vienna (1815) and was given to
symmetrical beds which in summer Lord Castlereagh in recognition of
are full of rich blue, yellow and his role in the talks.
orange flowers, complemented 7 The Chapel, converted from a
by purple foliage. sitting room in 1884, is still used by
4 Stone pergola the Londonderry family.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp302–3 and pp323–5

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