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Archive for tours

Garden Trails

Posted by Mark Grace 
· August 21, 2017 

West Cork Garden Trail

West Cork Garden Trail 2018

West Cork Garden Trail 2018

Visiting formal gardens is a popular activity for foreign tourists to Ireland, and West Cork has plenty to offer the botanically curious. The West Cork Garden Trail has been set up to showcase the many wonderful gardens in the county, most of which can be reached by a short drive from Ballynoe House. Dedicated guided tours are also popular. Due to the mild maritime climate, early Spring visits are worthwhile.

Sunlight through new oak leaves (Ballynoe House Woodland Trail)

Sunlight through new oak leaves (Ballynoe House Woodland Trail)

 

The Start of the Ballynoe House Woodland Trail

The Start of the Ballynoe House Woodland Trail

 

A Fairy Door on the Woodland Trail

A Fairy Door on the Woodland Trail

The Ballynoe House Woodland Trail

Ahead of opening the self-catering lets at Ballynoe House, a woodland trail has been in preparation as an additional amenity for guests. A 400m path winds its way amongst several thousand trees, consisting of more than twenty species with something to show for any part of the  year, from Spring primroses and bulbs, through blossom time to Winter-flowering mahonia. The trail is generally narrow so as to avoid the removal any trees, which also preserves the ambience.

Corkscrew Willow (Ballynoe House Woodland Trail)

Corkscrew Willow (Ballynoe House Woodland Trail

A number of benches have been provided in strategic locations.  The general planting scheme is one of a hawthorn boundary hedge with mixed woodland comprised of alder, ash, elder, hazel, field maple, ancient fuchsia trees, oak, sycamore and varieties of willow, with some conifers and the odd single specimen tree (which are part of a botanical treasure hunt). The traditional mix has been added to with garden shrubs to enhance insect life (such as buddleia) and to provide the odd splash of colour throughout the year. Some areas of the original planting are undergoing rehabilitation after being reclaimed from bramble thickets.

The woodland area is kept as natural as possible for the benefit of wildlife. Quiet explorers will enjoy hearing and seeing all types of wildlife including many birds and woodland butterflies.

Mark Grace, “Head Gardener”, Ballynoe House

 

White Japanese Cherry (Ballynoe House Woodland Trail)

White Japanese Cherry (Ballynoe House Woodland Trail)

Categories : Ballynoe House Blog
Tags : amenity, Ballynoe House, botanical, flowers, Garden Trail, gardens, leaves, plants, tourism, tours, treasure hunt, trees, West Cork, woodland

About Us

Ballynoe House has three luxury self-catering guesthouses situated just 10 minutes from Clonakilty, the multi-award-winning West Cork tourist destination, and within a short walk of several beaches; an ideal location for your holiday on this part of the Wild Atlantic Way. Our blog posts cover events and opportunities for activities in West Cork as well as Ballynoe House which has a Resident Genealogist and Resident Artist.

Press Coverage:
West Cork People (July 2018)
Irish Independent Travel Feature (December 2018)

From Our Blog

  • Top Tips to Maximise Your Online DNA & Genealogical Profile
  • Guest Profiles
  • Guest Reviews for Ballynoe House 2022
  • Why Guests Stay at Ballynoe House, West Cork
  • Guest Reviews for Ballynoe House 2021
  • One of the Best Autism-Friendly Holiday Locations in Ireland
  • 3rd February is the International BookDirect Guest Education Day
  • West Cork Garden Trail
  • Travelling the Seven C’s – An Approach to Genetic Genealogy (Part 2)
  • Travelling the Seven C’s – An Approach to Genetic Genealogy (Part 1)
  • From Family Historian to Genetic Genealogist
  • Out of Africa – A Personal Ancestral DNA Journey
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  • West Cork Rally 2019
  • Ballynoe House Offers Excellent Value for Money
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  • West Cork People (July 2018 Edition)
  • Flexible Family Accommodation
  • Self-Catering Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Cooking Yourself
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  • A Tour of Ballynoe Mews (Holiday Lets)
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  • A Connection to Michael Collins (1890-1922)
  • Having a Whale of a Time
  • Ballynoe House Presents The Barn House
  • The Constant West Cork Gardener
  • DNA Solves a 170-Year-Old Family Mystery
  • DNA in Family History Research
  • Old Postcards of Clonakilty
  • A Family Member Who Sank with the SS Titanic
  • The Documented Extinction of a Family Name
  • The Rewards of Family History
  • The O’NEILL Families of Clonakilty
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