Rowallane Garden, National Trust garden in Saintfield, Northern Ireland.

Rowallane Garden is a large garden estate in Saintfield, County Down, Northern Ireland, combining formal sections with open meadow areas and collections of rhododendrons and other flowering plants. The grounds include a walled garden, gravel paths, a cafe, and a secondhand bookshop, and mobility scooters are available for visitors who need them.

The garden was created in the 19th century by Reverend John Moore, and his nephew Hugh Armytage Moore later added many of the plant collections that still define the place today. The National Trust took over the property during the 20th century and has managed it ever since.

Many of the plants here were brought back from expeditions to Asia and the Americas, and they grow alongside native Irish species. Walking through, you notice a mix of the familiar and the foreign that gives the place a quiet sense of discovery.

The grounds are spread out, so comfortable shoes help when walking between the different sections. The garden looks different at each time of year, with early spring bringing snowdrops and late spring offering the rhododendrons at their peak.

The walled section holds the National Collection of Penstemon, one of the few officially recognized collections of this plant group in the whole of Britain. On the same grounds, there is also a secondhand bookshop, which is an unusual addition to a garden visit.

• Part of: National Trust
• Website: https://nationaltrust.org.uk/rowallane-garden
• GPS coordinates: 54.44700,-5.82800
• Latest update: March 3, 2026 13:55