Mount Congreve Garden

Mount Congreve is actually only a half hour drive away from Dunmore. Only 23.8 kms but of course we have to wind around quite a bit to get out of our village and onto the Ring Road and then off the Ring road onto another windy road.... I am getting very confident about driving but I always remind myself not to get TOO confident. These roads are very unforgiving.

Although there is a Georgian mansion in the grounds of Mount Congreve, as you can see it is very much in disrepair and is closed off to public access:

Doesn't matter though because the star of Mount Congreve is the huge botanical garden. Seventy acres of garden with paths crisscrossing all around. The map that they gave us at the entrance wasn't clear so we just wandered and wandered (after having a sandwich and sharing carrot cake at the cafe of course.) The azaleas were flowering, so were some of the camellias and the rhododendrons were just beginning. Bluebells, wild garlic and so many other flowers I don't recognize. It was a wonder two hours.

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