Mount Stewart

Over het museum

Mount Stewart stands on the shore of Strangford Lough, near Newtownards in County Down. The Stewart family bought the estate in 1744, and rose to become Earls and later Marquesses of Londonderry; Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, a leading statesman who became Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1798, belonged to the family. In the early nineteenth century the architect George Dance the Younger designed a neoclassical west wing, and later generations enlarged the house in the 1830s to 1850s.

The present character of the house and gardens owes much to Edith, Lady Londonderry, and her husband Charles, the 7th Marquess, who inherited in 1915. Edith redesigned the interiors as a colourful family home for entertaining and laid out a series of themed gardens in the mild climate of the lough shore, among them the Italian and Spanish gardens and the Dodo Terrace. The Temple of the Winds, an octagonal garden building designed by James Stuart in 1782 and 1783, overlooks the lough.

The gardens were given to the National Trust in 1957, and the house and most of its contents followed in 1977, a gift from Lady Mairi Bury. Today visitors can see rooms from the 1920s to the 1950s, including the central hall with sculpture and silver, the dining room and the family chapel, as well as portraits and objects from the Londonderry Collection. The estate also has about ten miles of trails, a lake walk, a natural play area and a squirrel hide.

Hoogtepunten

• Mansion with 1920s to 1950s family rooms and the Londonderry Collection
• Considered one of the finest gardens in the world, with Italian, Spanish and Dodo Terrace gardens
• Temple of the Winds, a neoclassical garden building above Strangford Lough
• Life-size sculpture and historic silver in the central hall
• Ten miles of trails, a lake walk, natural play area and squirrel hide

Vaste collectie

• The house – Rooms from the 1920s to 1950s, including the central hall with sculpture, the dining room and the family chapel, with portraits from the Londonderry Collection.
• The gardens – Themed formal gardens including the Italian garden, the Spanish garden and the Dodo Terrace, laid out by Edith, Lady Londonderry.
• Estate trails – About ten miles of trails through woodland and farmland, a lake walk, a natural play area and a squirrel hide.

Opgericht

2013

Beheerder

National Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are standard admission without Gift Aid (valid from 1 March 2026); tickets with Gift Aid cost about 10 per cent more (adult £17.60, child £8.80, family £44). Off-peak prices apply from Monday to Wednesday during the seasonal house closure from November to March, and on any other day when the house is closed. Entry is free for National Trust members.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: niet aanwezig
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The ground floor of the house is accessible, but the lift to the upper floor is currently out of order. The lake walk and the formal gardens are largely accessible, although there are steps and uneven ground in parts of the gardens and some trails are steep or uneven. Wheelchairs (outdoor and indoor) and two powered mobility scooters can be booked; an accessible route map is available at Visitor Reception. Accessible toilets with baby changing are in Car Park 1, the courtyard, Visitor Reception and beside the Temple of the Winds, and a Changing Places toilet (RADAR key from reception) is behind the toilet block in Car Park 1. Blue Badge spaces are at the top of Car Park 1, behind the courtyard and at the entrance to Car Park 2. Induction loops are fitted at reception, in the tea-room and in the shop, and a braille leaflet and large-print menus are available. Some corridors in the house are narrow. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the house and the indoor part of the tea-room.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

A natural play area themed around the story of The Magic Ink Pot has balance beams, carved figures and den-building. Tracker packs can be borrowed, a spotter sheet for the house and seasonal activity sheets are available, and sensory calm bags can be borrowed free from Visitor Reception. Buggy-friendly paths run round the lake and gardens, though parts of the woodland are difficult. High chairs and children's meals are available in the tea-room, and children under 5 go free. Children must be supervised because of the water features.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Mount Stewart is on the Portaferry Road (A20), 15 miles south-east of Belfast, on the road from Newtownards towards Greyabbey. Satnav may direct drivers to a back gate that is closed to the public, so stay on the Portaferry Road and follow the signs.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

Tea-room with a seasonal menu (hot lunches, sandwiches, cakes and vegan options), a gift shop, a second-hand bookshop and a plant shop selling plants grown on the estate. Picnic tables and benches are available.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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