Travel Information

Altamont in County Carlow is one of the most beautiful gardens in the Dublin area. It effortlessly achieves the difficult goal of making a seamless transition between the formal areas surrounding the house and the informal, wild parts beyond it. What you see are lush lawns, manicured yews, and box hedging merging fluidly with the lake – where expert planting has created wonderful all-season effects. The paths lead to woodlands, a bog garden, arboretum, and the banks of the River Stanley, which is accessible from an ice age-era ravine. Altamont is not only beautiful, it is also full of history. The house’s central portion was built in the 1770s by the St. George family. The northern part of the property was drastically changed in the 1840s when the Dawson Borrer family had a large lake dug, created terraced lawns and constructed a boardwalk to the lake that was flanked by yews and beds. Feilding Lecky Watson acquired the property next and the place slowly went into disrepair. In the 1970s, however, Watson’s daughter and present owner, Corona North, revitalized the whole place. The plant life was nursed to robust health, the walks were cleared, and new areas, like the Bog Garden, were made. Altamont is located a mere 1 mile north of the City of Dublin so it is easily accessible, especially if travelling by car. Car travel is highly recommended when travelling to Ireland because it affords travellers with the luxury to visit various destinations at their own leisure and pace. There are ample facilities for renting and travelling by car in the country. Altamont, for example, has adequate parking.