Old stone work from the castle grounds which had been exposed were moved to the lodge with the permission of archaeologist Malachy Conway and used to create retro garden furniture. Another quirky feature unearthed during clearance works was ‘George’ the headless statue. All eight feet of him!
‘Rather than being a formal manicured garden the secret garden retains a semi-woodland theme that bridges the gap between the lawned visitor entry point and wilder Black Glen woodland beyond,’ continues Barry.
‘It was completed in late summer and will be a riot of colour next year and somewhere for visitors to sit and enjoy a picnic or refreshments.’
The secret garden builds on recently added features including the natural play area and the restored bog garden. And next on the wish list, the unlocking and development of the former Downhill arboretum, starting with a tree trail leaflet planned for 2017 season.
Walled garden at Lion’s Gate
Over the winter months Barry’s attention is turning to the walled garden at Lion’s Gate: ‘In response to visitor feedback and thanks to the ongoing financial support from the North Coast Members Association, with another £5,000 donation, we’re now able to focus on bringing the walled garden back to life,’ Barry explains.
‘While we don’t have the resources to put in place formal beds, the vision is to create an imprint of what the walled garden would have looked like, in part using wild flower meadows that aren’t so resource intensive.