Florence Court facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florence Court |
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Florence Court in 2006
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| Architect | Richard Cassels |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade A
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| Designated | 6 November 1981 |
| Reference no. | HB12/09/002 |
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Florence Court is a grand 18th-century house and estate in Northern Ireland. It's about 8 miles southwest of Enniskillen, in County Fermanagh. The house sits near the Cuilcagh Mountain. A nearby village is also called Florencecourt. The National Trust now owns and looks after Florence Court. It's like a sister property to Castle Coole, another National Trust site nearby.
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History of Florence Court
The story of how Florence Court was built is a bit of a mystery. The house you see today was built in at least two, or maybe even three, stages. The very first house on this spot was built by John Cole, who lived from 1680 to 1726. He named it after his wife, Florence Bourchier Wrey, who passed away in 1718. She was the daughter of Sir Bourchier Wrey.
In 1718, a writer described John Cole's house as "very costly and sumptuous." But by 1739, another person said it was "but small." They thought it was only the left side of a much bigger building that Mr. Cole had planned but didn't finish.
Who Designed the House?
We don't know for sure who designed the current house. The main part of the building was built first, sometime between 1730 and 1764. Some people think the German architect Richard Cassels designed it. He worked on other houses in Ireland that look similar to Florence Court.
Later, around 1771, the long walkways (colonnades) and smaller buildings (pavilions) were added. These are thought to be designed by an Italian engineer named Davis Ducart. These newer parts are made of different stone than the main house.
Major improvements were made to the estate around 1778–1780. This included changing the park's layout and building the Grand Gates.
From Family Home to National Trust Site
Florence Court was the home of the Earls of Enniskillen until 1973. In 1953, the 5th Earl of Enniskillen gave the house and its surrounding land to the National Trust. This was done to help protect the house for the future.
In 1955, a terrible fire badly damaged the upper floors of the house. Sir Albert Richardson led the National Trust's efforts to restore it. Thanks to a lot of hard work, Florence Court looks much like it used to. However, some rooms on the upper floors are still closed.
The 5th Earl's family faced many challenges after World War II. It became hard to keep up with the large house. The National Trust opened Florence Court to the public in 1954. The family eventually moved out in 1973.
What to See at Florence Court
The house is known for its beautiful Rococo style decorations. It also has lovely Irish furniture. Many pieces were bought by the National Trust. Others were loaned from different Irish houses. Most of the original furniture was moved when the Cole family left in 1973. But many pieces were returned later, thanks to the Dowager Countess of Enniskillen.
Gardens to Explore
Pleasure Garden
The large pleasure garden was designed in the mid-1800s. It offers amazing views of Benaughlin and Cuilcagh mountains. You can see old Victorian trees here. There are also many rhododendrons, which are colorful flowering plants.
Summer House
This building is also called the heather house. It's a rebuilt version of an 18th-century thatched summer house. It sits on a high spot in the pleasure garden, offering great views. The National Trust rebuilt it in the late 1980s. Sadly, vandals burned it down in 2015. But it was rebuilt again in 2016, with help from the local community.
Florence Court Yew
The most famous tree on the estate is the Florence Court Yew. This special tree is one of two original Irish Yew saplings found in 1767. A local farmer named George Willis discovered them on Cuilcagh mountain. The Irish Yew can only grow from cuttings. This means almost every Irish Yew tree in the world comes from this very tree!
The yew tree is located in what used to be John Cole's early 18th-century gardens. These gardens are mostly gone now. But you can still see parts of the old rock garden near the yew tree.
Walled Garden
The four-acre walled garden was first created in the 1700s. It was made bigger in the 1870s by Charlotte, Countess of Enniskillen. Inside, you'll find a rose garden and two ponds. There are also orchards with old types of fruit trees. A working vegetable garden grows fresh produce. The Rose Cottage, built in the 1870s, was once where the head gardener lived. It's now a holiday cottage. There are plans to restore the garden to how it looked in the 1930s. This includes rebuilding two large glass houses.
The Park and Its Features
Landscape
The park, designed in the 1700s, is surrounded by Benauglin and Cuilcagh mountains. William King designed it around 1778–1780. He created the winding main drive you see today. The old straight drive can still be seen in aerial photos.
The Larganess and Finglass rivers flow through the estate. Most of the land is used for pasture (grazing animals) and Larch forestry. The Glen Wood nature reserve is a natural oak woodland. It is looked after by the Forestry Service.
Gate Lodges
The Grand Gates were built around 1778. They have two small, matching lodges on either side. These lodges were once painted red but are now black.
The south lodge is a pretty cottage built in the 1870s. It replaced an older lodge. The Old Gate lodge, at the end of the north avenue, was built around 1800.
Old Industries and Engineering
Sawmill
A working water-powered sawmill is located near the pleasure garden. You can learn about the building's history and the timber industry here. The water wheel has the name 'William Maxwell circa 1848' on it. The mill uses both water-powered and electric saws. The water for the mill comes from the Larganess river, flowing through a long channel called a millrace.
The main part of the building is from the 1700s. It became a sawmill in the 1840s. Some parts of the building look like they might have been used for military purposes long ago.
Hydraulic Ram
Near the sawmill, you'll find a working Victorian hydraulic ram. This clever device uses water pressure from the millpond to pump water uphill to the house. It was the house's main water supply until the 1950s.
Forge
Behind the cattle yard, there's a preserved 18th-century forge. This is where a blacksmith would have worked with metal. Sometimes, demonstrations are still held here.
Tilery
In the 1850s, the 3rd Earl started the Florencecourt Tilery. This factory made bricks, water pipes, and roof tiles. It used rich clay from the area. The factory helped provide jobs for local people. These unique tiles and bricks were often used in homes in southwest Fermanagh.
The Fire of 1955
On the morning of March 22, 1955, a fire started at Florence Court. It began on the first floor, near Lady Enniskillen's bedroom. Firefighters worked hard, but dry weather helped the fire spread. Flames reached the roof, which then crashed into the hall. By evening, about two-thirds of Florence Court's inside was destroyed.
Lady Enniskillen discovered the fire when her husband was away. She quickly alerted the servants and called for help.
A lot of the damage was caused by the huge amounts of water used to put out the flames. The beautiful dining room was saved by two local builders. They drilled holes in the ceiling to let the water drain away. This stopped the ceiling from collapsing. You can still see two of these holes in the dining room today.
The fire was one of several events that changed Florence Court forever. After World War II, it became very difficult for the Earl and his wife to afford the house. To protect its future, Lord Enniskillen gave Florence Court to the National Trust in 1953. It opened to the public the next year.
In 1956, the Earl's only son, Michael, passed away suddenly. In 1961, a big storm called Hurricane Debbie damaged the estate. In 1963, the 5th Lord Enniskillen and his wife both passed away.
His nephew, David Lowry Cole, became the 6th Earl of Enniskillen. He and his second wife, Nancy, moved back to Florence Court in 1964. But in 1973, they left Florence Court and moved to Scotland. David Enniskillen was the last Earl to live in the house. His son, Andrew Cole, became the 7th Earl in 1989. He now lives in Kenya.
Florence Court on Screen
In 2012, the BBC filmed parts of a TV comedy called Blandings at Florence Court. The show was first shown in 2013.
See also
Images for kids
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Florence Court in 2006
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Florence Wrey (died 1718), who the house is named after.
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The Hall at Florence Court, around the 1890s.
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Florence Court estate in early autumn, nestled in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain.
