Discover more at Mount Stewart
Find out when Mount Stewart is open, how to get here, things to see and do and more.
Exploring the estate at Mount Stewart
Take a stroll around the seven-acre lake, wander through woodland and ramble across acres of parkland. Mount Stewart’s country estate is the perfect place to soak up the sights, sounds and scents of the season while younger visitors can run wild in the natural play area.
Boundary Trail closed until end 2023
Please note due to ongoing forestry work, the Boundary Trail is closed and we anticipate this will be until the end of the year. Watch out for updates on our social channels and website. Why not explore one of the many other walks in the trail network as autumn colour begins to spread around the estate.
The estate begins to shake off its winter coat at the end of March and as you walk the trails you will start to see Celandine, Primrose and Daffodils starting to appear and decorate the woodland floor and banks. In later Spring, the carpets of Bluebells spread through the woodland, follow the red trail to the Folly and take a moment to lie on the forest bathing logs to soak up the atmosphere.
Discover the many Pond habitat ‘scrapes’ which have been restored and have become a great places to spot frogs, newts and freshwater invertebrates (broad bodied chaser and common darter dragonflies, common blue and blue tailed damselfly and beautiful and banded demoiselle).
Spot some Mediterranean visitors who begin to arrive in Spring. See a “gulp” (the collective noun) of Swallows flying around near buildings where they will be busy building their nests. Chiff Chaff can be spotted in the woodlands and Willow Warblers prefer scrub land and listen out for the Black Caps who will be singing their songs in gardens everywhere.
From March keep an eye out for emerging pollinators (bumble and solitary bees) and butterflies (Orange tip butterfly, small tortoiseshell, meadow brown). Young red squirrels become active around the estate having left their dreys to explore.
Fun for families
There are lots of things for families to do at Mount Stewart. Here are just a few ideas.
Run wild in the natural play area
Head to the Magic Inkpot Natural Play Area for big fun in the middle of the woods. Younger visitors can run, jump, skip and hop over the natural obstacles, letting their imaginations run wild as they spot animals and creatures carved into the trees.
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