POWERSCOURT ESTATE AND GARDENS

Saturday we went to Powerscourt. Powerscourt is an estate and gardens near Enniskerry, Co. Wicklowe. It was built in the 13th century and used for military purposes. In the 18th century the castle underwent extensive renovations, which took 10 years. In the 19th century the house and gardens were renovated again. The garden development took 20 years.
The Powerscourt gardens consist of the Italian gardens, the Japanese gardens, the Tower Valley (which consists of many North American towering trees and a Round Tower), the Winged Horses, Triton Lake, a Pets Cemetery (where family pets and even some horses and cows were buried), Dolphin Pond, and the Walled Gardens. They have nice Avoca tourist shops and restaurant and a Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Avoca is the name for the hand-weavers of Co. Wicklowe.