Gooseberry Gardens & Farms

Strategically planted areas of exotic trees and winding paths guide you round to unveil amazing lake vistas.

The deerpark walks, with bridges, follies and seemingly undiscovered waterfalls are a stunning reminder of this type of naturalistic garden.

What looks simple and long established sometimes took a lot of planning such as relocation of major trees and even diverting rivers for maximum effect on winding circuit walks and rides.

This kind of garden was a rebellion toward the early 18th century symmetrical gardens that surrounded estates and this more natural form was made very popular by period superstar gardeners such as Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton.

Walk along the tranquil park and hear the sounds of silence, laced with the chirpings of Cavan’s thriving birdlife, it feels unspoilt and will leave you wondering how this part of Ireland has remained such a well-hidden and undiscovered secret for so long.

From its inception the Lodge was a botanical marvel created from Lord Headfort’s personal collection of plants and trees from around the globe.

Lord Headfort was a major contributor to the Royal Horticultural Society with seedlings cultivated in Ireland and added to the Botanical Collection in Kew Gardens in London. The fourth Marquis became president of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland from 1915-45.

In November 30th 1939 the crown awarded the Marquis of Headfort, the prestigious ‘Victoria Medal of Honour’ for his contributions, to horticulture.

The kitchen gardens have been lovingly brought back to life by a team of Ireland’s finest gardeners and as one would suspect a lot of good, old fashioned graft, Nature is very fair with all and there is no getting around the hard work on the land before reaping any rewards.

The Lodge was built around the idea of self-sufficiency, still a very current concept today.

Our walled garden with the assistance of polytunnels will produce enough food to maintain the house and also supply our London restaurants with produce such as vegetables, soft fruits, herbs and spices.

We are improving and nurturing the kitchen gardens with composting & manure, ensuring abundance from the land whilst protecting & maintaining a healthy rich soil. We utilise herb gardens, cutting gardens & polytunnels to extend the seasons making the garden productive all year round.

Within the grounds expect to find:

• Pleasure gardens
• Apple orchards
• Walled garden bearing muscat grapes
• Parterre gardens
• Woodlands and meadows
• A stable block

We invite guests to explore the gardens and polytunnels to discover the fresh produce used in your meals at the Lodge.