Belvedere House, Gardens and Park

About the museum

Belvedere was built around 1740 as a hunting lodge on the shore of Lough Ennell, to a Palladian design by the architect Richard Cassels, for Robert Rochfort, later Lord Belvedere. The dining room still has rococo plasterwork from about 1760, with figures, garlands and shells.

The estate is best known for the story of the feuding Rochfort family and for its follies, including a large Gothic ruin, which gives the park much of its character. In the 1840s Charles Brinsley Marlay laid out the original gardens, and the walled garden later gained a glasshouse and a nineteenth-century pleasure garden.

In the twentieth century the estate belonged to Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury, who developed the garden and led the Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition of 1921. Westmeath County Council bought the house in 1982 and, with the Irish Tourist Board, carried out a long restoration. The house, gardens and park opened to the public in 2000. The interior of the house is currently closed for conservation work, while the visitor centre, gardens and park remain open.

Highlights

• Georgian house with rococo plasterwork in the dining room
• Gothic ruin and other follies in the park
• Walled garden with a glasshouse
• Woodland walks and lake shore on Lough Ennell
• Children’s play area and lakeside café

Permanent exhibition

• The House – A Georgian villa with a rococo dining room, Irish oak floors and period furniture, telling the story of the Rochfort family; the interior is currently closed for conservation.

Founded

2000

Admission & discounts

Admission covers the estate and play areas. Free audio guides are available in English, German, French and Spanish.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Contact the estate for details of access to the visitor centre, gardens and paths.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area

There is a children’s play area, and seasonal family events such as Samhain at Belvedere are held in the park.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Wi-Fi

Lakeside Café. Wi-Fi is available in the courtyard area of the visitor centre.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The estate offers meeting rooms, team-building days and special events.

Plan your visit