Planted beds that comprise a variety of textures and colors surround the west wing of Bantry House. The oversize windows of the tearoom and café frame enchanting views of the neighboring gardens and woodlands. Manicured hedges surround the wisteria grove on the southern side of the mansion. A path leads through the parterre to the edge of the property’s famous Hundred Steps.
Varied for visual delight, the property is composed of meandering paths and breathtaking horticultural displays. Throughout the estate, lavish plantings have been designed to replicate the second Earl of Bantry’s original vision of a European-inspired garden.
Circular beds and sprawling lawns create a captivating vista, framed by the distant mountains. The mansion’s southern-facing rooms overlook the ornamental terrace. Centuries-old trees and magnificent stone structures convey a sense of history.
Text Brittany Flowers
Photography Kate Sears
To learn more, see “Of Sky and Stone: At Water’s Edge” on page 59 of the March/April 2014 issue of Victoria.
