Belvedere House and Gardens
Belvedere House and Gardens | |
---|---|
The exterior, and the Drawing Room | |
Type | Country house |
Location | Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland |
Area | 160 acres (65 ha) |
Built | 1740; 284 years ago (1740) |
Architect | Richard Cassels |
Architectural style(s) | Palladian |
Owner |
|
Belvedere House and Gardens is a country house located approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Mullingar, County Westmeath in Ireland on the north-east shore of Lough Ennell.[1] It was built in 1740 as a hunting lodge for Robert Rochfort, 1st Earl of Belvedere by architect Richard Cassels, one of Ireland's foremost Palladian architects.[2]
The house is known for its Diocletian windows and nineteenth-century terracing.[3] When Robert Rochfort decided to use Belvedere as his principal residence, he employed French stuccatore Barthelemij Cramillion, to execute the Rococo plasterwork ceilings. The landscaped demesne has the largest folly and spite wall in the country, The Jealous Wall, built to block off the view of his estranged brother's house nearby. There is also Victorian walled garden and several hectares of forest. The house has been fully restored and the grounds attract approximately 160,000 visitors annually.
History
The house was initially built by Robert Rochfort as a retreat, having incarcerated his wife in their previous home at Gaulstown, for an alleged affair with his brother Arthur. Arthur was later put on trial and fined £20,000 which he could not pay. Arthur spent 18 years in debtors' prison in Dublin but was released upon Robert's death. Robert built The Jealous Wall after falling out with his brother George, who lived on the adjacent estate at Tudenham. His wife was only released on his death in 1774. The estate passed to his son George Augustus Rochfort, the 2nd Earl. He was MP for County Westmeath from 1761 to 1776 and High Sheriff of Westmeath for 1762. He left for England in 1798 and died in 1814. When his widow died in 1828, Belvedere passed to her grandson Brinsley Butler, 4th Earl of Lanesborough. He rarely visited Belvedere and it was subsequently inherited on his death by his cousin Charles Brinsley Marlay in 1847. Charles moved into the house and during his time there was responsible for the alteration of the Diocletian windows on the upper façade and for the addition of the terracing. He commissioned Ninian Niven, curator of the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, to draw up plans for the Victorian walled garden. In the period following the second world war, Charles Howard-Bury, who was a soldier and mountaineer, restored the house and gardens. He never married and on his death in 1963, the estate was inherited by Rex Beaumont. Rex had been Howard-Bury's friend and companion for 30 years, and sold the estate to Westmeath County Council in 1982 for £250,000. Following a multimillion-pound restoration, the house and gardens were opened to visitors. Belvedere also hosts weekend music festivals, and garden theatre performances.[citation needed]
Gallery
- The gardens at Belvedere
- Ireland's largest folly, the Jealous Wall
- The dining room
- The Gothic Arch
References
- "Belvedere House, County Westmeath". Ask about Ireland. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- "Belvedere House Gardens & Park". Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
External links
- Belvedere House Gardens & Park website
- Belvedere House Gardens & Park website
- v
- t
- e
- Ashford Castle
- Aughnanure Castle
- Ballymore Castle
- Ballymote Castle
- Ballynahinch Castle
- Castle Hackett
- Classiebawn Castle
- Clifden Castle
- Clonalis House
- Dunguaire Castle
- Dunsandle Castle
- Eyrecourt Castle
- Fiddaun Castle
- Hazelwood House
- Glanleam House
- Kilronan Castle
- Lissadell House
- Markree Castle
- Menlo Castle
- Parke's Castle
- Strokestown House
- Tyrone House
- Westport House
- Abbeville, Dublin
- Aldborough House
- Áras an Uachtaráin
- Ardgillan Castle
- Ashtown Castle
- Baggotrath Castle
- Carrickmines Castle
- Castleknock Castle
- Chichester House
- Clontarf Castle
- Deerfield
- Drimnagh Castle
- Dublin Castle
- Farmleigh
- Frescati House
- Hillcourt
- Howth Castle
- Iveagh House
- Leinster House
- Lucan Manor
- Luttrellstown Castle
- Malahide Castle
- Manderley Castle
- Manresa House
- Mansion House
- Merrion Castle
- Mornington House
- Rathfarnham Castle
- Roebuck, Dublin
- Sutton Castle
- Swords Castle
- Allenstown House
- Altamont House
- Ardbraccan House
- Athlone Castle
- Athclare Castle
- Athlumney Castle
- Avondale House
- Ballinlough Castle
- Barberstown Castle
- Bargy Castle
- Beaulieu House
- Bellinter House
- Belvedere House
- Bellevue House
- Birr Castle
- Blessington House
- Butler House
- Carton House
- Castle Durrow
- Castlemartin House and Estate
- Castle Roche
- Castletown House
- Charleville Castle
- Dangan Castle
- Dardistown Castle
- Darver Castle
- Duckett's Grove
- Dunsany Castle
- Durhamstown Castle
- Emo Court
- Enniscorthy Castle
- Foulksrath Castle
- Gloster House
- Humewood Castle
- Huntington Castle
- Kilkea Castle
- Killeen Castle, Dunsany
- Kilkenny Castle
- Killruddery House
- Kinnitty Castle
- Leap Castle
- Leixlip Castle
- Lisnavagh House
- Loftus Hall
- Luggala Lodge
- Lyons Demesne
- Maynooth Castle
- Marlfield House
- Middleton Park House
- Mount Loftus
- Portlick Castle
- Powerscourt House
- Rock of Dunamase
- Russborough House
- Slane Castle
- Stradbally Hall
- Straffan House
- Summerhill House
- Tallaght Castle
- Townley Hall
- Trim Castle
- Abbeville, Tipperary
- Adare Manor
- Ardfinnan Castle
- Ballinalacken Castle
- Ballinskelligs Castle
- Ballycarbery Castle
- Ballyhannon Castle
- Bantry House
- Barryscourt Castle
- Black Castle
- Blarney Castle
- Bourchier's Castle
- Bunratty Castle
- Bowen's Court
- Cahir Castle
- Cappoquin House
- Castle Conway
- Castle Donovan
- Castle Gurteen de la Poer
- Castle Maine
- Castle Oliver
- Castle Otway
- Craggaunowen Castle
- Croom Castle
- Curraghmore
- Damer House
- Derreen House
- Derryquin Castle
- Desmond Castle, Kinsale
- Doonagore Castle
- Dough Castle
- Dromoland Castle
- Dromore Castle
- Dunasead Castle
- Dunboy Castle
- Dunkerron Castle
- Dunlough Castle
- Ennistymon House
- Fota House
- Gallarus Castle
- Kenmare House
- Kilcash Castle
- Killagha Abbey
- Killarney House
- Kiltinan Castle
- King John's Castle
- Knappogue Castle
- Leamaneh Castle
- Lismore Castle
- Listowel Castle
- Macroom Castle
- Moorstown Castle
- Mount Congreve
- Mount Trenchard House
- Muckross House
- Newhall House
- Newtown Castle
- O'Dea Castle
- Ormonde Castle
- Parkavonear Castle
- Red House
- Redwood Castle
- Rock of Cashel
- Roscrea Castle
- Ross Castle
- Shanmuckinish Castle
- Slevoir House
- Strancally Castle
- Tarbert House
- Vernon Mount
- Waterford Castle
- Woodhouse
- Woodstown House
- Altinaghree Castle
- Archbishop's Palace, Armagh
- Arthur Cottage
- Bailieborough Castle
- Ballymoyer House
- Bangor Castle
- Baronscourt
- Belfast Castle
- Bellamont House
- Blessingbourne House
- Burt Castle
- Carrickfergus Castle
- Castle Caulfield
- Castle Coole
- Castle Leslie
- Castle Saunderson
- Clandeboye House
- Cloughoughter Castle
- Crom Castle
- Dartrey Forest
- Derrymore House
- Doe Castle
- Donegal Castle
- Dundrum Castle
- Dungannon Castle
- Dunluce Castle
- Florence Court
- Glenarm Castle
- Glenveagh Castle
- Gosford Castle
- Grianan of Aileach
- Hillsborough Castle
- Hope Castle
- Inch Castle
- Lissan House
- Lough Eske Castle
- Monellan Castle
- Mongavlin Castle
- Mount Stewart
- Parkanaur House
- Richhill Castle
- Rossmore Castle
- Springhill House
- Tynan Abbey
53°28′37″N 7°22′05″W / 53.477°N 7.368°W / 53.477; -7.368