Mount Stewart House & Gardens

Mount Stewart is an 18th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the Irish seat of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry. The house and its contents reflect the history of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, who played a leading role in British and Irish social and political life.

Mount Stewart’s glorious, unique and unusual gardens were given to the National Trust in 1955. The garden reflects a rich tapestry of design and great planting artistry that was the hallmark of Lady Londonderry. 

Within the 80 acre 19th century garden with its lake and specimen trees, a series of intricately designed and brilliantly planted formal gardens were laid out around the house at a time when garden design had reached an exquisite peak. Offering beautiful contrasts of mood, the gardens move from the geometric parterres of sizzling reds, yellows and oranges on one side of the Italian garden and silvers and mauves on the other, to the cool greens and curvaceous design of the Spanish garden with its circular pool overlooked by a pantiled loggia and screened by arches of clipped leylandii. 

The House & Gardens are popular for many reasons, which include: Former home to a fascinating array of political leaders and society figures World famous painting of ‘Hambletonian’ by George Stubbs Remarkable embroidered chairs used at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 Famous gardens of international importance European Garden of Inspiration 2003 Formal gardens of clipped topiary, statuary and magnificent colour schemes Picturesque lake surrounded by beautiful swathes of woodland Dramatic views across Strangford Lough from the Temple of the Winds New garden shop.