Castlewellan Forest Park

The manor house at Castlewellan is a granite structure built by the Annesley family in 1856. Its style is Scottish Baronial and its appearance castle like. The house currently serves as a conference centre for private groups. The nearby village of Castlewellan sits near the Mourne Mountains, and is the birthplace of writer Seamus O’Neill and actress Greer Garson.

The rest of the estate was designated as Castlewellan Forest Park in 1969. It contains a one-mile long lake, the beautiful, walled Annesley Garden, ponds, fountains, and ornamental greenhouses. The park also features an arboretum and peace maze.

The Lake at Castlewellan Forest Park is fed by surrounding streams, and is popular for fishing and as a scene for conservation learning and projects. It began as a much smaller body of water, and was enlarged when a dam was added.

Annesley Garden was created in the 1850’s, and attractive stone works and fountains accent the natural beauty of its plants.

The arboretum at Castlewellan was added later, starting with Japanese maples and coniferous trees. Other rare species followed, such as Australian Athrotaxis, Chinese Rhododendrons, and Chilean euchryphias. Some of the trees in this arboretum hold records for their height across the British Isles.

The Peace Maze at Castlewellan Forest Park is the largest and longest hedge maze in the entire world. It was designed by Beverly Lear, planted in 2000, and opened to the public in September of 2001. It was created as a symbol of the hope that exists for enduring peace in Northern Ireland. The Peace Bell sits at its center.