Castlewellan Park

Castlewellan Greenhouses

I have spent a marvellous day at Castlewellan Park in County Down.

This demesne was formerly the seat of the Earls Annesley who, with about 25,000 acres, were the third largest landowners in the county.

The main purpose of my visit was to discover the Moorish Tower, a gazebo or folly to the west of the lake which afforded a commanding prospect and would have been conspicuous when it was built.

I had some difficulty in finding this gazebo, which is now concealed amongst undergrowth and forestry; in fact I walked round the lake twice before I was directed to its location by a ranger.

I intend to write a separate article about this folly tomorrow.

I AM delighted to see that the greenhouses within the walled garden have been restored.

I gather that £200,000 has been spent on this project.

The interior features await restoration, presumably in another phase; though there used to be a delightful water feature and running water in a rockery within the main glass-house.