The house was built in the 1820′s to designs by William Farrell as an Italianate seaside villa. A Mediterranean grove was planted with a Cork tree as its centrepiece. In the remains of this romantic wilderness, the present owner, architect Alfred Cochrane, designed a garden punctuated by a collection of architectural follies salvaged from the demolition of Glendalough House, an 1830′s Tudor revival mansion, built for the Barton family by Daniel Robertson who designed Powerscourt Gardens.
“There is more fun at Corke Lodge” writes Jane Powers, The Irish Times, where ” the ‘ancient garden’ of box parterres is punctuated by melancholy gothic follies, and emerges eerily from the dense boskage of evergreen oaks, myrtles, and a writhing cork oak tree with deeply corrugated bark. Avenues of cordyline palms and tree ferns, dense planting of sword-leaved New Zealand flax, and clumps of whispering bamboos lend a magical atmosphere to this rampantly imaginative creation.”
Woodbrook, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Tel: +353 1 282 2821
Mobile: +353 87 244 7006
E-mail: alfred@corkelodge.com
Website: www.corkelodge.com
Situated:
GPS: N53-12.974 W006-06.995 el 4m
300m north of the “Bray North” roundabout off the M11, on the Old Dublin Road, towards Shankill. Corke Lodge is on the Woodbrook Golf Club Avenue.
Open:
By appointment for groups (minimum 10 visitors)
Admission:
Garden: € 5.00
House: by special arrangement
Facilities:
Wheelchair access
Best time to Visit:
Any time
Contact:
Alfred Cochrane
