Belvedere House and Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belvedere House and Gardens |
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The exterior, and the Drawing Room
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| Type | Country house |
| Location | Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Area | 160 acres (65 ha) |
| Built | 1740 |
| Architect | Richard Cassels |
| Architectural style(s) | Palladian |
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Belvedere House and Gardens is a beautiful old country house. It is located about 8 kilometers from Mullingar, in County Westmeath, Ireland. The house sits on the north-east shore of Lough Ennell.
It was built in 1740 as a hunting lodge. The first owner was Robert Rochfort, 1st Earl of Belvedere. A famous architect named Richard Cassels designed it. He was known for his Palladian architecture style.
The house is special for its unique windows and terraced gardens. Robert Rochfort later made Belvedere his main home. He hired a French artist, Barthelemij Cramillion, to create amazing plasterwork ceilings. The large estate also has the biggest folly (a building just for decoration) in Ireland. It's called The Jealous Wall. Robert built this wall to block the view of his brother's nearby house. There is also a Victorian walled garden and many acres of forest. Today, the house is fully restored. About 160,000 people visit the grounds every year.
History of Belvedere House
Belvedere House was first built by Robert Rochfort as a quiet place to stay. Robert had many disagreements with his family. These family problems led to him building the famous The Jealous Wall. He built this wall after a disagreement with his brother George. George lived on the next estate at Tudenham.
After Robert's death in 1774, the estate went to his son, George Augustus Rochfort. George Augustus later moved to England. When his widow passed away in 1828, Belvedere was inherited by her grandson, Brinsley Butler. He was the 4th Earl of Lanesborough.
The house was then passed to Charles Brinsley Marlay in 1847. Charles moved into Belvedere House. He made some changes, like altering the windows on the upper part of the house. He also added the beautiful terracing you see today. Charles hired Ninian Niven to design the Victorian walled garden. Ninian Niven was a curator at the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin.
After the Second World War, Charles Howard-Bury took over. He was a soldier and a mountaineer. He worked hard to restore the house and gardens. Charles Howard-Bury never married. When he died in 1963, his friend Rex Beaumont inherited the estate. Rex sold Belvedere to Westmeath County Council in 1982.
After a big restoration project, the house and gardens opened to visitors. Today, Belvedere also hosts weekend music festivals. You can also enjoy garden theatre performances there.
Gallery
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The gardens at Belvedere
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Ireland's largest folly, the Jealous Wall
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The dining room
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The Gothic Arch
