Heywood House Gardens

Heywood House Gardens is a formal garden in County Laois featuring circular terraces that descend toward an elongated pool with fountain and turtle statues. The space spreads across a substantial landscape with multiple terraced levels and structured pathways throughout.

Colonel William Hutchinson Poe commissioned architect Edwin Lutyens to design this garden, which was completed in 1912. The mansion that originally stood on the estate no longer exists today.

The upper terrace displays a red-tiled loggia with inscriptions from Alexander Pope's works, reflecting literary ideas of that era. Visitors can discover these texts while walking through and see how writing influenced the garden's design.

The gardens are open year-round starting from 8:30 in the morning with varying closing times depending on the season. Winter visits mean earlier closings, while summer allows for evening access with daylight lasting longer.

From specific positions within the garden, carefully framed views reach across seven different Irish counties. This planned sequence of perspectives shows how deliberately the garden was designed to connect with the surrounding landscape.

Location: County Laois

GPS coordinates: 52.88430,-7.30080

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:00