A circa 1875 lithograph of the house from "Morris's Views of Seats"
The house from the garden from a circa 1900 postcard
The garden from the house from a circa 1900 postcard
House & Family History: In August of 1821 George IV visited Powerscourt House. Lord Francis Powerscourt, the fictional Victorian-Edwardian detective created by David Dickinson in the early 21st century, lived at Powerscourt. His character has appeared in 15 novels by Dickinson.
Garden & Outbuildings: The Powerscourt garden, inspired by those at Versailles, Schönbrunn Palace, and Schwetzingen Castle (near Heidelberg), are considered among the finest in Europe (in 2014 "National Geographic" magazine listed Powerscourt as No. 3 of the world's top ten gardens). The garden boasts over 200 varieties of trees and shrubs; highlights include the Italian Garden, the Japanese Garden, the famous pet cemetery, Triton Lake, and the Dolphin Pond. The circa 1770 wrought iron gates that form the entrance to the gardens were brought here from Bamberg Cathedral in Bavaria. The Powerscourt Waterfall is the highest in the British Isles. At its height in the 19th century, the Powerscourt Estate spanned 50,000 acres.
Architect: Richard Castle (Cassels)
Date: 1731-41John Bernard (J.B.) Burke, published under the title of A Visitation of the Seats and Arms of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland, among other titles: 2.S. Vol. II, p. 155, 1855.
Country Life: C, 1062 plan, 1946.
Title: Classical Architecture in Britain: The Heroic Age
Author: Worsley, Giles
Year Published: 1995
Reference: pg. 168
Publisher: New Haven: Yale University Press (The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art)
ISBN: 0300058969
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Unknown
Park Listed: Unknown
Current Seat / Home of: Slazenger family
Past Seat / Home of: Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt, 1740-51; Edward Wingfield, 2nd Viscount Powerscourt, 1751-64; Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt, 1764-88; Richard Wingfield, 4th Viscount Powerscourt, 1788-1809; Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt, 1809-23; Richard Wingfield, 6th Viscount Powerscourt. 1823-44; Mervyn Edward Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt, 1844-1904; Mervyn Richard Wingfield, 8th Viscount Powerscourt, 1904-47; Mervyn Patrick Wingfield, 9th Viscount Powerscourt, 1947-61; Wingfield family here from the 16th century until 1961.
Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust
Primary Current Ownership Use: Visitor Attraction
House Open to Public: Yes
Phone: 35312-046-000
Fax: 35312-863-561
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://powerscourt.com/
Historic Houses Member: No