Powerscourt in winter / Powerscourt en hiver
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
Khalil Gibran
On Children
For this week’s Living Arrows link-up on Donna’s blog What the Redhead Said, we went back to Powerscourt Gardens, outside Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
The magnificent gardens provide a fabulous playground that the acorns never tire of exploring. Whatever the season, or the weather. With the Great Sugar Loaf concealed in a white veil of light drizzle, we nearly had the place to ourselves.
The Japanese Garden, with its water features, winding paths, and mysterious grotto, has become a firm favourite. But the acorns had never explored the Pepperpot Tower, modelled on a pepper mill from Lord Powerscourt’s dining table.
By the time Brian and I arrived at the foot of the tower, the acorns had run up the winding staircase and were staring at us from behind the railing.
Back down at ground level, they played for a while with the old cannons, before running down Tower Valley. They played hide-and-seek all the way to the Japanese Garden, and beyond.
By the time we walked up the terraces of the Italian Garden towards Powerscourt House, the blue light of dusk had descended over the estate, and we were the last ones left in the gardens.
Vous êtes les arcs desquels vos enfants sont propulsés,
tels des flèches vivantes.
Khalil Gibran
Les Enfants
Pour ma contribution hebdomadaire à Living Arrows, sur le blog What the Redhead Said, nous sommes retournés aux jardins de Powerscourt, près de Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
Les jardins splendides fournissent un terrain de jeux que les graines de chêne ne se lassent jamais de parcourir. Peu importe la saison, ou la météo. Avec au loin le Great Sugar Loaf voilé dans une écharpe de bruine, nous étions presque seuls sur place.
Le Jardin japonais, avec ses cours d’eau, ses chemins à méandres et sa grotte mystérieuse, est devenu le préféré des graines de chêne. Mais nous n’avions jamais exploré Pepperpot Tower, une tour façonnée sur le modèle du moulin à poivre de Lord Powerscourt.
Quand Brian et moi sommes arrivés au pied de la tour, les graines de chêne avaient déjà gravi quatre à quatre l’escalier en colimaçon et nous regardaient du sommet.
De retour sur terre, ils jouèrent un moment avec les vieux canons, avant de détaler dans Tower Valley. Ils jouèrent à cache-cache tout le long du chemin jusqu’au Jardin japonais, et au-delà.
Lorsque nous avons gravi les marches des terrasses du Jardin italien, la lumière bleue du crépuscule était déjà descendue sur le domaine, et nous étions les derniers dans les jardins.
Jedi
Mermaid / Sirène
Pebbles / Caillou
Squirrel / Ecureuil
Visitor information
Powerscourt Gardens
Enniskerry
Co Wicklow
Tel. + 353 01 204 6000
Email info@powerscourt.net
Facebook @powerscourtestate
Open every day 9.30-5.30; the gardens close at dusk in winter. Closed on 25-26th December.
Ticket prices: Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) €25; Adult €9.50; Child (5 to 13 years old) €5; Student/OAP €8.
Annual membership: Family €165; Adult €95.
Powerscourt Estate is part of the newly-established Ireland’s Ancient East tourism initiative. The gardens were voted third best garden in the world by National Geographic.
Getting there
If travelling southbound on the N11 (Wexford), take exit 7 to Bray and Greystones (north). At the first roundabout, take the first exit, signposted for Dublin and Powerscourt. Cross the bridge over the N11. At the second roundabout, take the third exit to Dublin. Stay on the slip road for exit 6a to Enniskerry.
If travelling northbound on the N11 (Dublin), take exit 6a to Enniskerry.
Follow the R117 until Enniskerry. On the village’s main square, keep left on the R760 towards Powerscourt. Continue out of the village on that steep, narrow road, all the way to the main entrance gate to the Powerscourt Estate on the right. Once inside the gate, follow the avenue to the car park. Entrance to the gardens is through the ticket office, inside Powerscourt House.
Infos pratiques
Powerscourt Gardens
Enniskerry
Co Wicklow
Tel. + 353 01 204 6000
Email info@powerscourt.net
Facebook @powerscourtestate
Ouverts tous les jours 9h30-17h30; fermeture à la tombée de la nuit en hiver. Fermés les 25 et 26 décembre.
Tarifs d’entrée : Famille (2 adultes et jusqu’à 3 enfants) 25 € ; Adulte 9,50 € ; Enfant (5 à 13 ans) 5 € ; Etudiant/3e âge 8 €.
Carte de membre annuelle : Famille 165 € ; Adulte 95 €.
Powerscourt est un des sites du nouveau circuit des Terres ancestrales d’Irlande (Ireland’s Ancient East). Les jardins ont été élus le troisième du monde par le magazine National Geographic.
S’y rendre
Circulant sur la N11 en direction du sud (Wexford), prenez la sortie 7 pour Bray et Greystones (north). Au premier rond-point, empruntez la première sortie, signalée pour Dublin et Powerscourt. Traversez le pont au-dessus de la N11. Au second rond-point, prenez la troisième sortie, en direction de Dublin. Restez sur la bretelle et poursuivez par la sortie 6a pour Enniskerry.
Circulant sur la N11 en direction du nord (Dublin), prenez la sortie 6a pour Enniskerry.
Suivez la R117 jusqu’à Enniskerry. Sur la place principale du village, prenez à gauche sur la R760 en direction de Powerscourt. Continuez sur cette route raide et étroite, jusqu’au grand portail d’entrée de Powerscourt sur la droite. Une fois passé le portail, suivez l’avenue jusqu’au parking. L’entrée se fait par la billetterie, à l’intérieur de Powerscourt House.
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Wow, what an amazing place to visit! Looks like everyone had a great time! #livingarrows
Powerscourt always delivers, it is one of our favourite spots in Wicklow. Thank you for your comment Gemma!
what an amazing place and you can just tell your kids have got the spirit of adventure. Love that shot of your daughter on top of the bridge – she looks like a giant next to her brother! #livingarrows
Haha, she is the troll over the bridge 🙂 All four of them love a bout of free range play, and Powerscourt is an ideal playground.
Looks like an amazing place to visit !
It certainly is Vicki! Highly recommended by my four acorns 😉
So many gorgeous photos! The tower is spectacular and I love the look of the Japanese garden – looks like so many little nooks to explore! #livingarrows
Thank you Katy! Powerscourt is indeed a pretty special place, and the estate is so vast that we are far from having seen it all yet!
Your photos are absolutely stunning. That place looks like nature’s playground, just so beautiful! I wish we had something like that nearby x
Thank you Donna! Powerscourt was voted third best garden in the world (no less!) by National Geographic, and we’re so lucky to have it on our doorstep 🙂
In all the time I lived in Ireland I’ve never visited Powerscourt. I think I’m going to have to change that when I take my son home for his first ever Saint Patrick’s Day!
Where in Ireland did you use to live? It’s very easy to get to from Dublin and the N11. You’re in for a treat! 🙂
What a fantastic place for a stomp about. Look at the size of those trees!
A surprisingly child-friendly place, the best playground ever for adventurous children!
What a gorgeous photos, and I love that you have four children! I love seeing bigger families, as I’m one of eleven. I love the photos, but my favourite is the first one. It is just gorgeous. Nature is magnificent. One huge, amazing playground #LivingArrows
Thank you so much Esther for your lovely comment, I am really touched that you like my photos so much, thank you! On bigger families, it is certainly hard work with four children, never mind eleven, but it is also so much fun 😉
Wow, what a fabulous place to explore – you’ve captured some great photos. (Et aussi c’est très intéressant pour moi de lire ta description en français aussi bien qu’en anglais!)
Thank you Sarah – or should I say merci? 😉 Glad you enjoyed both the pictures and the bilingual writing 🙂