Visit to Heywood Gardens in Laois
by
Cliona Kelliher
- Sunday, August 14, 2022
So last week was my birthday - and my first birthday post autism diagnosis, so for that reason, it felt somewhat like a bit of a milestone. I did contemplate doing something social, like planning a lunch with a friend but in the end, I decided to do just what I enjoy most, and spend the day alone. I love being out with my camera and it's always a joy to discover new places to visit. Heywood Gardens in Laois had been on my radar for a while but I just hadn't managed to get there, however last Tuesday I finally got to visit and it was such a beautiful place, it made my day just perfect.
I drove cross country, avoiding motorways because a) I hate them and b) I really enjoy discovering little places en route to my destination, seeing the views and noting interesting place names - one of which on the day was 'The Swan', a village in county Laois. What a fabulous name for a place, imagine being able to say 'I'm from the Swan'? :)
Heywood gardens is just off the road and has a large stone wall by the carpark and is well signposted so easy enough to find. There is plenty of parking and toilets by the carpark.
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Sunken Garden at Heywood |
Heywood Gardens, named after the house, which is now sadly gone, were created by Frederick Trench in the late 1700s (source: Laois Heritage). There is a park and the formal gardens which were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the early 1900s. Lutyens frequently worked with Gertrude Jekyll, who was a horticulurist and garden designer and his other notable work in Ireland is the Irish War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge in Dublin.
I was a bit pressed for time and also was so impatient to start my journey that I didn't bring any food, so my stay wasn't as long as it could have been, but I still had a good look around and loved the formal gardens as well as the beautiful vista and trees. I do recommend that you bring a picnic as there is no café on site. There is a farmshop nearby which had a sign for scones and coffee but I didn't check it out. Abbeyleix is also not too far away so that's another alternative for food, but the gardens are a lovely picnic spot and I only wish I had brought one with me!
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Walkway towards the gardens |
The gardens also have follies which are really interesting - there is a sham castle, as well as a gothic ruin and it's thought that the window of this structure was taken from the ruins of nearby Aghaboe Abbey. Follies are architectural features which are just placed for whimsy and interest and the follies at Heywood were built as ruins and never intended to be completed.
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Sham Castle |
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The Gothic Ruin |
I went onwards and passed the Orangery which had a functional purpose similar to greenhouses. Orangeries were a feature of grand houses and were popular in the 17th century. Unlike the follies, this was properly constructed and used and the style is really eye-catching. I think this was my favourite building in the gardens.
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Orangery at Heywood |
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Another View of the Orangery |
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Butterfly with closed wings |
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Colourful Butterfly |
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Swan on the Lake |
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Bathing House Sign |
All in all, the gardens appealed to me so much. It's such a wide open space, yet with the delicate features of formal gardens that are bright with colour at this time of year. It was also really nice to see that nature was just allowed to be free in certain spaces.
Another spot to visit that isn't too far away is Leap Castle in Offaly and you can read all about it in a recent blog post here - https://www.puritybelle.com/2022/04/MedievalTipperaryTour.html