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Come and rediscover the Annesley Walled Garden at Castlewellan Forest Park. Created and developed by generations of Annesleys, this internationally renowned Walled Garden has been restored as part of the Castlewellan Historic Demesne project co-funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.- 7 Mar 2026
- 8 Mar 2026
- 14 Mar 2026
- 15 Mar 2026
The Annesley Walled Garden, set at the heart of the internationally renowned arboretum in Castlewellan Forest Park, will reopen to the public on Saturday 7 March 2026, following nearly two years of restoration work and storm damage repairs.
The restoration has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, as part of a £5.5 million Castlewellan Historic Demesne heritage project.
- Re-Rooting our past in the Future: Castlewellan Historic Demesne. The vision is to restore the garden at Castlewellan Forest Park as the core of a dynamic living Arboretum, to repurpose the Grange Courtyard as a centre for community use and to connect people with their natural and built heritage. A Project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
- Castlewellan Forest Park is truly spectacular, set against a dramatic backdrop of the Mourne Mountains and sea. It features one of Europe’s most outstanding tree and shrub collections, with the National Arboretum drawing visitors from around the world to admire its remarkable beauty, vitality, and impeccably shaped trees. Visitors can also enjoy a range of activities including walking, biking and canoeing on the park’s serene lake.
The Grange Centre (Block 3 and 4) is really taking shape. Block 4 has taken on the appearance of a proper building once more with a completed roof, windows and two floors. Underfloor heating has been installed on the ground floor and the limecrete flooring added; upstairs is mostly wired and plastered.
The future visitor centre has largely completed its restoration and is awaiting the installation of the visitor centre components, which are currently under development. Our staff offices are also nearing completion with a new floor being laid.
At this stage in the project the capital works is around 50% complete, with most work carried out to date in the first courtyard and car park. The new visitor information centre, formerly the café, has almost completed its renovation and has a beautiful gable wall showing period features. Once the renovation is completed the next step will be installing a range of interpretation to tell the amazing stories of the demesne.
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