Powerscourt Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Powerscourt House |
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The facade at Powerscourt.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Palladian |
| Town or city | Enniskerry, County Wicklow |
| Country | Ireland |
| Construction started | 1731 |
| Completed | 1741 |
| Client | Richard, 1st Viscount Powerscourt |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Richard Cassels |
Powerscourt Estate (Irish: Eastát Chúirt an Phaoraigh) is a huge country estate in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland. It's famous for its beautiful house and amazing gardens, which cover about 19 hectares (47 acres). The main house started as a castle way back in the 1200s. It was later changed a lot in the 1700s by a German architect named Richard Cassels. This big project started in 1731 and finished in 1741.
Sadly, a fire in 1974 badly damaged the house, leaving it empty for a long time. But it was fixed up and reopened in 1996.
The land where Powerscourt Estate stands has a long history. In the early 1600s, the Wingfield family became the owners of the Powerscourt area. This happened after some disagreements and changes in land ownership rules by King James I of England.
Powerscourt Estate used to be the family home of the Viscounts Powerscourt. Since 1961, it has been owned by the Slazenger family, who are known for their sports equipment company, Slazenger. Today, Powerscourt is a very popular place for tourists to visit. It has a golf club, a restaurant called Avoca Handweavers, and even a fancy hotel.
There's also another building called Powerscourt House, Dublin in Dublin city. This was the city home of the viscount.
Contents
History of Powerscourt Estate
The First House: 1200s Castle
The very first building on this spot was a castle built in the 1200s. It belonged to an Anglo-Norman nobleman named La Poer. His name later became "Power." The castle was built in a very smart place. From there, its owner could control who went in and out of the nearby Dargle, Glencree, and Glencullen rivers. This made it an important military spot.
The old house had three floors and at least 68 rooms! The main entrance hall was huge, about 18 meters (60 feet) long and 12 meters (40 feet) wide. Important family treasures were shown there. The main living rooms were on the first floor, which was a bit unusual for the time. A long path, about a mile long, lined with beech trees, leads up to the house.
The House in the 1700s
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By the 1500s, the Powerscourt family owned the house. They became very rich and important. In the 1700s, Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt, decided to make big changes. He hired an architect named Richard Cassels to turn the old medieval castle into a grand, modern country house. This work began in 1731 and finished in 1741.
The house sits on top of a hill, giving it a powerful look. Cassels designed it with a serious, grand style. It has a palladian front with two round towers on each side, making it look a bit like a castle.
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In August 1821, King George IV visited Powerscourt. He was a guest of Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt. In the 1830s, the house also hosted some important meetings about religious topics. These meetings were led by Theodosia, the Dowager Viscountess Powerscourt.
The Gardens in the 1800s
In 1844, when he was just 8 years old, Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt, inherited the estate. It was huge, covering about 200 square kilometers (49,000 acres) of land in Ireland. When young Lord Powerscourt turned 21, he started a big project to fix up the house and create amazing new gardens.
The gardens have many cool spots to explore. These include the Tower Valley with its stone tower, beautiful Japanese gardens, statues of winged horses, Triton Lake, a special pet cemetery, Dolphin Pond, walled gardens, the Bamberg Gate, and the Italian Garden. The Pepperpot Tower is said to be shaped like a small pepperpot that Lady Wingfield loved. The Pet Cemetery is especially interesting, with very personal messages on the tombstones.
Lord Powerscourt got ideas for his gardens from places he visited, like the famous gardens at the Palace of Versailles in France, Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna, and Schwetzingen Castle near Heidelberg in Germany. It took 20 years to finish the garden development, finally completed in 1880.
Fire and Renovation in the 1900s
In 1961, Mervyn Patrick Wingfield, 9th Viscount Powerscourt, sold the estate to the Slazenger family. They still own it today. Wendy Slazenger, whose father was Ralph Slazenger, married Mervyn Wingfield in 1962. Mervyn later became The 10th Viscount Powerscourt in 1973. Because of their children, the 11th Viscount and Julia Wingfield, there is still a strong family link between the Wingfields and the Slazengers at Powerscourt Estate.
On November 4, 1974, a fire destroyed the house. It was later fixed up and reopened in 1996. Today, only two rooms are open to the public as they looked when people lived there. The rest of the ground and first floors are now shops.
Powerscourt has received some great awards. In 2011, Lonely Planet magazine named Powerscourt one of the Top Ten Houses in the World. In 2014, National Geographic listed Powerscourt as the No. 3 garden in the World's Top Ten Gardens.
Powerscourt in the 2000s
Tara's Palace Museum of Childhood
Tara's Palace Museum of Childhood moved to Powerscourt House in June 2011. It used to be at Malahide Castle near Dublin. This museum has amazing dollhouses, tiny miniatures, dolls, and old toys. Its main attraction is Tara's Palace, which is one of the most incredible dollhouses in the world. It's as famous as the Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois, and Queen Mary's Dolls' House at Windsor Castle.
Powerscourt Waterfall
The Powerscourt Waterfall and the valley around it are also part of the Powerscourt Estate. However, they are not directly connected to the main house and gardens anymore. At 121 meters (398 feet) tall, it is the highest waterfall in Ireland. In 1858, Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt, created a deer park around the waterfall. This led to the successful introduction of the Japanese Sika deer to Ireland.
Regular bus service from Powerscourt to the waterfall stopped in 2005. However, during the busy summer season, you might still find some buses running. The waterfall is seven kilometers (about 4.3 miles) from Enniskerry. You can walk there, but the road is narrow and doesn't have much space for walkers, so it can be a bit risky.
You need to pay a separate fee to get into the waterfall area. It costs about €3.50 for children and €6 for adults.
Powerscourt Golf Club
Powerscourt Golf Club is located at the Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow, Ireland. It has two 18-hole golf courses, both with a par of 72. The East Course was built first, followed by the West Course. Both courses have fast greens and hilly fairways. They are each over 6,900 yards (6,300 meters) long. In 1998, the East Course hosted the Irish PGA Championship.
Images for kids
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The steps overlooking Triton Lake
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See also
In Spanish: Powerscourt House para niños
