Travelmania Ireland - Ardress House and Garden, County Armagh

Ardress House and Garden, Co. Armagh

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Description

Originally a 17th century modest farmhouse, it was enlarged and redeveloped into an elegant manor house during the 18th century by the architect George Ensor, when he married Sarah Clarke of Ardress in 1760. He decided to settle at Ardress with his wife in 1778 upon his retirement as Clerk of Works to the Surveyor General. The original house was built by his wife's family sometime around 1670.

Now owned by the National Trust, the house contains a very impressive Adam-style splendid drawing room that could belong to a sophisticated Dublin town mansion of the period. The room is filled with original 18th century neoclassical furniture, as well as a good collection of paintings. The drawing room is notable for its magnificent ceiling, with stucco plaster work that was created by the Dublin plasterer Michael Stapleton and is considered to among the best he produced. On display is the 1799 table made for the speaker of the Irish Parliament upon which King George V signed the Constitution of Northern Ireland on 22nd June 1921.

The house is surrounded by 100 acres of lovely areas of woodland, garden, orchards, scenic riverside walks and farmland which were laid out in the early 19th century. Outside, a cobbled working farmyard contains among other items a piggery, blacksmith's shop, chicken houses, a harness room and a well in the middle of the yard. There is also an interesting collection of traditional farm machinery and tools. Visitors can inspect a milking shed, dairy, boiler house, forge and threshing barn. Paths guide the visitor around the garden and woods, where there is also an adventure playground.