Autumnal Walk Around Montalto Estate
This morning I decided after discovering the Instagram of @MontaltoEstate it would be good on a lovely sunny autumn morning to take a stroll around their estate with my camera.
Montalto Estate, is situated on the Spa Road, just two minutes outside Ballynahinch, a County Down town here in Northern Ireland. When you arrive at the gates you are greeted with picturesque landscapes. As you drive the twisted laneway you are surrounded by stunning scenery and views of the Mourne Mountains, when you arrive in the car park you aim for the entrance area where you are greeted by a warm welcoming member of staff, who directs you in either the direction of the shop/café or ticket booth.
I was directed towards the ticket booth, which was a lovely brisk walk along a brick pathed walkway down into the courtyard of where the ticket booth is situated. Upon arrival at the ticket booth I was greeted by over a thousand glass bottles that were found within the Montalto Estate during construction. It indeed was the perfect wall display, it really brightened up the room.
I paid my fee and exited the ticket booth with my map in hand ready to explore the estate. Finding a little tree stump I set my backpack down and lifted out my camera gearing up for the walk around Montalto Estate. From reading my map I came to understand that I wouldn’t be here for a little dander that I would actually be here for a number of hours as there were more things to see and do than I initially anticipated.
I was most interested in completing all three walking trails and seeing the gardens. The Walking Trails consist of:
- The Garden Walk
- The Lake Walk and
- The Woodland Walk.
The Gardens include the:
- Alpine Garden
- Winter Garden
- Cutting Garden
- Walled Garden
- Formal Garden and
- an Orchard with a wildflower meadow
By looking at my map I saw that I was closest to the Garden Walk so I began there, knowing that I probably wouldn’t see much in bloom because it was autumn time, however, I took the walk anyway to see what was around. I stumbled across a beautiful garden house a few yards into the walk which had stunning views over the Montalto Lake and the Main House. Further on down the path I arrived at the Alpine Garden and from reading the facts section on my map I discovered that are over 300 Alpine plant varieties are on the estate. Continuing my walk around the garden I began the stoned descent down to what I seen was the lake. Not knowing whether to turn right or left I decided to turn left as I really wanted to see Montalto House up close.
Arriving at Montalto House I couldn’t believe the size of it, the old school vibe of the house made me think it was going to be old fashioned throughout, but I was wrong upon looking through the windows, I discovered that the more traditional rooms at the front of the house like the living and dining rooms and kitchen are more traditional, until I reached the back of the house where the modern wing of the house was on display, obviously this extension had been added on a number of years ago but it really divides the house up and added a lovely feature to the home.
Upon finishing looking at Montalto House and walking around the houses featured garden I discovered a little “Granny Flat” styled home that was attached to the extended walls of the main house that I assume families can rent as a self-catering cottage for a weekend that they are visiting the area, however I could be wrong, but this is what it looked like when I peered through the windows.
Strolling on, I arrived at the Lake Walk, starting from what I can see on the map as the middle of the walk, I began at the “Wood Cutters” section of the walk, greeted by wood sculptures and carvings of men, who must have worked on the estate many years ago as wood cutters in the surrounding forestry. Following the wood shavings path I arrived at the Witches Cottage which was a perfect little Hansel and Gretel house. This little cottage had all the features you can imagine from the thatched roof to the witch’s cauldron inside.
Continuing on around the path and out of the forest, the Lake just appeared to where I could see the Boat House and Montalto House in the distance. I wanted to see the boat house, so I walked there and discovered a pair of binoculars hanging from a piece of string, having a good nosey about I could see plenty of families and dog walkers enjoying the autumn morning as much as myself. Finishing up back where I started at the ticket booth it was time to head towards the beginning of the Woodland Trail.
Arriving at the start of the Woodland Trail I seen what is known as “Low Wood” in the distance. Low Wood is part of the Woodland Trail which was created to inspire adults and children alike. When you arrive, you will see an impressive and significant tree house towering ahead of you. This spectacular feature was hand built on the estate by the highly skilled craftsmen. The tree house offers a range of activities from monkey bars, a climbing tower, rope bridges and slides, that I swear I didn’t try…
After my play about in the Low Wood whilst there was no children or people about it was a great twenty minutes, it was time to take the Woodland Trail that is noted for its interesting and historic trees, with many native and naturalised beech, birch, douglas-fir and sycamore trees. Following the paths as I go the autumn vibes just began to flow, with the rustling leaves beneath my feet and the river running alongside me. The Woodland Trail was the longest of all three walks on the estate, but it is worth doing when you are there, it only took me an hour and a bit to walk but this was also because I was stopping loads to take photographs, so maybe if you are visiting without a camera it could be walked in under an hour.
Back where it all started I exited the walks back through the ticket booth and headed for the café because by this point I was starving. The menu offers simple, country fresh, flavoursome food which is beautifully presented. After eating my lunch I walked across the courtyard to the onsite shop where I was opened to a lot of local products as well as items that are not widely available in Northern Ireland.
All in all, Montalto Estate is a family and dog friendly estate that for a small fee should be a stop over in your schedule when visiting the beautiful county of Down in Northern Ireland. If you are a local and enjoyed your visited at Montalto you can purchase a yearly membership that once is purchased is open to a lot of great benefits within the estate.