15 Jan Carlow Garden Trial

Our very own Avlon House is perfectly situated to make the most of all of the great stops on Carlow Garden Trail. With multiple venues close by be sure to stay with us and if you book direct, we can guarantee the best rates!

Identifiable road signs make the Carlow Garden Trail an easy-to-follow tour through one of the most beautiful inland counties of Ireland

Due to the current Covid 19 restrictions you might feel as though nowhere is open to the public and all inside activties are closed. The Carlow Garden Trail is the perfect solution as all these locations can be enjoyed spacially distant enjoying the outdoors and there are plenty to choose from.

Here are some of the best locations on the trail and the travel times fromhere at Avlom house;

Delta Sensory Gardens & Garden Centre 7 minutes
Delta Sensory Gardens are set on a 2.5 acre site with 16 interconnecting gardens located on the outskirts of Carlow town. The Delta Sensory Gardens were officially opened in 2007 as the first of their kind in Ireland. The gardens are now a major tourist attraction in Carlow for local, national and international visitors.

The gardens have so much to offer the visitor during all seasons, from the bright and beautiful daffodils and tulips in spring to Autumn’s breath-taking changing of colours with the leaves Delta Centre also runs a busy garden centre with a wide range of planted containers, pots, seasonal bedding, shrubs, plants and gardening accessories. The gardens contain numerous water features including a waterfall and the famous Kugal – one tonne of pink marble floating on a cushion of water. There is a restaurant and cafe on site, serving from breakfast to lunch and right through to afternoon tea.

Arboretum Inspirational Gardens – 14 minutes
A visit to Arboretum Inspirational Gardens at Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven, Leighlinbridge is a treat for the amateur or the enthusiast. These gardens were created to inspire visitors to realise their own dream gardens. The gardens showcase a variety of planting schemes and garden designs, all of which deliver a wow factor and all of which are low maintenance. One of the great joys of gardens is colour and these gardens were designed to make the most of the positive effects of colour on our wellbeing – red for vitality for example, yellow for contentment, purple for knowledge, and so on. Tours of the Arboretum Inspirational Gardens may be booked.

Families will enjoy exploring the African mud hut and spotting the friendly koi who reside in the Arboretum pond. There is an excellent children’s playground and a maze adjacent to the Inspirational Gardens. Rachel’s Garden Café has a terrace area located beside the playground so that while the children play, their parents can enjoy delicious home-cooked food, and with take away service available.

Altamont Gardens – 23 minutes.
The Altamont Gardens, regarded as the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown, lie in County Carlow. The romantic 16-hectare estate, not far from Tullow, features a mix of native and exotic plants and makes a great destination for a family outing.

The heavenly 16-hectare gardens of Altamont in County Carlow combine formal and informal gardens with a variety of flora. Visitors will have a wonderful experience at any time of the year, as different plants flourish throughout the spring, summer and autumn, and the trees show off their striking silhouettes during the winter.

This unique collection, first started by Corona North, the former owner of Altamont Gardens, is now amongst the largest in Ireland with over 100 named varieties. Visitors can enjoy 16 hectares of formal and informal gardens at Altamont Gardens in Tullow, Co Carlow.

Burtown House – 20 minutes.
Burtown House, an early Georgian villa, is surrounded by lush flower, vegetable and woodland gardens with beautiful park and farmland walks. The gardens feature several distinct areas, including large herbaceous borders, shrubberies, a rock garden, a yew walk divided by a pergola, a sundial garden, an old orchard, a more formal stable yard garden, a walled organic vegetable garden and a large woodland garden surrounded on all sides by water. Hearty brunches and lunches using produce from the organic kitchen garden served at The Green Barn Restaurant. You can take a walk around our gardens, have a browse in Jo’s Pantry for some delicious ingredients for home cooking or treat yourself to a bottle of wine or craft beers or simply sit outside, have a takeaway coffee and enjoy the sights Autumnal Burtown while you wait

Huntington Castle & Gardens – 30 minutes.
Still lived in by the descendants of the original builders, this fascinating Castle is truly one of Ireland’s hidden treasures. The gardens were laid out in the 1680’s and feature formal plantings, lakes, champion trees and a beautiful rose garden. Meander down the serene Yew Tree Walk and admire the water features in Huntington’s delightful pleasure grounds.

Originally built as a defensive garrison, Huntington Castle was developed into a family estate by the Baron of Esmonde. Take a tour and view the old kitchens, drawing room and the refurbished conservatory, and hear the stories of the castle and its occupants brought to life. See the intriguing Fellowship of Isis Temple —in the 1970s, this spiritual organisation established the castle’s basement as a place of worship of the Egyptian Goddess.

Our woodland adventure playground is the perfect place to play and explore. Tours of castle also available.

Shankill Castle & Gardens – 21 minutes.
Shankill Castle is an 18th-century building surrounded by stunning parkland near Paulstown, County Kilkenny. The garden features Victorian favourites, such as Sequoias and self-sown ash trees.

Shankill Castle Gardens there are remnants of 19th-century laurel lawns and some Victorian favourites like the now gigantic Sequoias and 20th-century self-sown ash trees. The moated garden was once a rose garden, then forgotten and planted with Sitka spruces. Now it is a spring garden, and the graveyard blooms all year round. The walled garden has a charming apple arch.

Inside Shankill Castle is an 18th-century building that is set in beautiful parkland. The interior preserves much of its original character and features a Georgian staircase, Gothic plaster work in the dining room and a charmingly Victorian drawing room.