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"My brother's house" wrote George Pakenham, "is
situated in the declivity of a hill from whence descending by
a variety of slopeworks you come to a basin 300 foot wide; from
this cascade falling into another basin at the head of a canal...
on each side a large grass walk planted with trees. From
this canal runs another near a mile in length... and terminates
in a large basin at the foot of 3 or 4 beautiful hills".
All
that remains of this great water garden however is the lake to
the far right of the DESMESNE; for soon afterwards the taste for
more romantic "natural" landscaping reached Ireland
and it was all swept away.By 1760 the park was already laid out
much as it is today. The TERRACES date from Victorian days when
croquet and tennis came into their own.
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Pass
through the red gates to the right of the terrace and you enter
the informal WOODLAND GARDEN or PLEASURE GROUND which succeeded
the formal walks and canals of the early 18th century. There are
many exotic species of trees here including new collections of
magnolias and maples.
To
the left, stone steps lead down through an old beech grove to
the upper pond or RIVER SHAM (so called because it is curved to
look like a river). The main gravel path leads to the walled FLOWER
GARDEN and KITCHEN GARDEN. A few yards down it a Victorian garden
seat marks a view of Knock Ion, the beautiful conical hill by
Lough Derravaragh. Just beyond a turn to the right will take you
to the GROTTO. Note the cut-leaved beech beside it which is reverting
in places to the normal beech leaf.
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The GROTTO PATH is planted as in Victorian times with ferns, periwinkle
and laurels under a canopy of old beech. The grotto is built of
the natural eroded limestone found by Lough Derravaragh and from
the clearing in front you can glimpse faraway this legendary lake,
the home of the Children of Lir. The clearing is planted as a
wild garden with lilies, astilbes, hypericums and Japanese anemones.
You can either descend direct from here to the WALLED GARDENS
(taking care on the worn steps) or take the longer easier way
down continuing along the path and turning left along the garden
wall. The main path has grotesque carvings in old roots and trees
made by a local sculptor.
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The
FLOWER GARDEN was once laid out with elaborate Victorian flower
beds and pergolas, but has now been simplified with herbaceous
borders around the walls. Most of the shrubs are old favourites;
along the upper wall cydonia, ceanothus, clematis viticella, jasmine
and old rambler roses. Kerria japonica frames a marble goddess
at the end of the terrace and above it a stone plaque commemorates
the first planting of the garden - 1740. A Gothic summer house
provides shelter. On the lawn below are Japanese maples, cornus
contoversa and alternifolia. At the bottom is a small lily pond
with a fountain designed as a "weeping pillar", made
about 1830. Framing the gate to the kitchen garden are two sphinxes
bought by Lord Longford in 1780.
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The
KITCHEN GARDEN is one of the largest in Ireland - it was already
being described by its owner in 1835 as "impossibly large for
these times!" Nowadays the problem is partly solved by using
the farm calves to graze it supervised by a pair of friendly llamas.
But the splendid central avenue of Irish yews is still intact; they
are linked by an unusual "tapestry" hedge of mahonia,
box, yew and holly. To the right, a border of shrub roses leads
to the great line of Regency hothouses which once supplied the castle
with grapes and peaches. Only two of the peach houses survive.
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Pass
back through the flower garden and turn down the hill. On the
right, framed by magnolias is QUEEN VICTORIA'S SUMMER HOUSE,
copied from one in her garden at Frogmore. The path leads down
to the RIVER SHAM. A small gazebo provides shelter at one end.
Originally this ornamental lake also had a practical use. It
could be released at the far end to drive the great waterwheel
that ground the corn. The rustic bridge across it is dated 1884
on the mossy stone beside it.
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On the far side, there was once an elaborate "American Garden"
planted by the 2nd Countess of Longford and described rapturously
by the Irish novelist, Maria Edgeworth who often stayed here.
"I
take back all I have said about Lady Longford" she wrote
in 1829. "She may want Feeling" (Lady Longford had refused
to have a numerous family of hard-up in-laws to stay!) "but
Taste she has... I never saw in England or Ireland such beautiful
gardens as she has made". Most of the American plants have
vanished, but the owners are in the process of creating a newer
smaller version. Opposite is another small garden, created by
diverting the old millstream into a series of waterfalls and pools,
edged with plants whose seeds were collected by Thomas Pakenham
in TIBET in 1996, notably the blue Himalayan poppy and yellow
florindae primulas.
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Some
of the Countess's Garden survives in the FOREST WALK to the LOWER
LAKE or SWAN POOL. Turn right halfway along the far bank of the
RIVER SHAM and cross the farm road. The path is bordered by a
stream and the first clearing on the left has water loving plants
like skunk cabbage, rodgersia and fritillaries.
Note
the giant ash tree, one of the tallest in the garden; and the
trail made by badgers where they cross the path.
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The
second clearing on the right, has two new ponds excavated from
the limey soil and a scarlet PAGODA built by local craftsmen.
This
is the CHINESE CLEARING. All the plants here were collected by
Thomas Pakenhan in the wild in Yunnan in 1993 and grown from seed
here at Tullynally. These are the lime-tolerant species, such
as sorbus, white pine and birch. Further on where the soil changes
to acid, there are plantings of lilies - including the giant Himalayan
lily which can grow up to 12 feet high.
The
third clearing has magnificent old trees (notably a giant Caucasian
pine) and a doll-sized gothic summer house, the GINGERBREAD HOUSE,
built for the owners' grandchildren.
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After
a quarter of a mile you will reach the lower lake or SWAN POOL,
usually inhabited by a pair of swans and their cygnets. There
is a superb view of the castle from here. Adventurous visitors
can attempt the full circle round the woods and back across
the park.
There
is a wicket gate giving back onto the main Forest Walk just
below the Gingerbread house.
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Most of the garden is accessible to pushchairs or wheelchairs.
There is a free Adventure Trail guide available for children.
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