Donaghadee: Manor House Garden

THE DE LACHEROIS FAMILY OWNED 1,356 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

The following information has been obtained from the Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest (Northern Ireland), compiled by Terence Reeves-Smyth in November, 2020.

Layout of Walled Garden ca 1830 (OSNI)

THE MANOR HOUSE, Donaghadee, County Down, was the residence of a landed family called Delacherois (De La Cherois).

It is located close to the centre of the town, and pleasure gardens were directly opposite the manor house, at the other side of the main road.

The old walled garden, which must surely date from 1780-1800, survives.

The Dinner Bell Bistro.  Click to enlarge

I visited it at the end of May, 2022, mainly with the intention of having a light lunch at The Dinner Bell bistro, a small café restaurant in the former outbuildings of the walled garden; through which the garden is accessed.

Explanatory information (The Dinner Bell).  Click to enlarge.

Its captivation on a warm summer's day is irresistible: a serene haven of tranquillity within the celebrated seaside resort of Donaghadee, County Down.

A secret garden!

(Timothy Ferres, 2022)

I’ve seen old maps of the garden, and the section that is open today used to be the walled garden, doubtless thriving with abundant fruit and vegetables.

The ornamental section of the garden has been built over since the 1970s, but the walled garden remains today, complete with box-edged beds, a remarkable survival.

The front garden wall has a handsome stone castellated entrance from Killaughey Road in the town.

The remaining garden is rectangular, comprising almost half an acre, with stone walls, and two other entrances (now disused) from the pleasure grounds, one opposite the vehicle entrance and one near the west corner.

The Pond and Water Pump (Image: Tripadvisor)

The well in the garden is now enclosed by a cast-iron ornamental hand pump.

Produce was sold until the 1990s.

The garden is now part of the Dinner Bell bistro, Killaughey Road, and is accessible to patrons through the restaurant.

Eucalyptus Tree (Image: Tripadvisor)

The walled garden is now mainly ornamental, with statuary and columns, a rectangular pond, a large eucalyptus tree, and small terraced and paved areas with seating towards the south-west end.

It is laid out with a partly box-edged, partly stone-edged, perimeter border full of flowering shrubs and plants and geometrically-arranged paved and gravelled paths, some brick-edged.

Pair of Statues (Image: Tripadvisor)

Towards the north-east there are some rectilinear lawns and a row of apple trees in a central position running from south-east to north-west.

Against the south-west wall is a concealed wooden loggia; whereas at the opposite end, against the north-east wall, there is a summer-house or gazebo.

Summer-house (Image: Tripadvisor)

Immediately outside the walled garden to the north and north-west are mature trees, forming part of a larger garden plot of about one acre.

My intention is to revisit the garden in 2022, study its features more closely, and take more photographs.

Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest (NI) - November 2020.