Antrim Castle Gardens Restoration and Development Scheme
The former seat of the Skeffington family, Viscounts Massereene and Ferrard, Antrim Castle occupied its imposing setting on the banks of the Sixmilewater since 1610. The family began laying out the gardens in the late 17th century, and, while the castle itself was destroyed by fire in 1922, the principal features of the gardens, though somewhat neglected, have remained largely intact.
With Antrim Borough Council’s decision that cultural heritage should be one of the cornerstones on which its regeneration of Antrim’s town centre would be built, the restoration of Antrim Castle Gardens was seen as a key element in this process. The opportunities for the scheme to re-establish the link between the town and the demesne, lost with the creation of the Dublin Road bypass in the 1960s, and provide quality recreational, interpretative and learning resources centred on a redeveloped Clotworthy House are seen as central to providing a memorable visitor experience worthy of the site’s historical importance and garden heritage.
This is a major undertaking involving extensive research and survey work to consider the historical context of the site, the archaeology and architecture, the quality of the existing tree stock, and address a wide range of environmental, access, and sustainability issues, before any physical work is actually carried out on site. Heritage Lottery Fund’s recognition of Antrim Castle Garden’s historical significance has provided the impetous for Antrim Borough Council to undertake what will be the biggest garden restoration project yet seen in Northern Ireland.
