Mount Stewart House and Gardens are located in a picturesque setting on the east shore of Strangford Lough, southeast of Newtownards, in county Down.

The 18th century estate was the former home of the Londonderry family, and its beautiful landscaped gardens are widely regarded as some of the finest in the UK. The magnificent gardens, which cover 98 acres and are now owned by the National Trust, were the work of Lady Edith Londonderry in the 1920's. They have been nominated as a World Heritage Site, and contain a huge

Mount Stewart Gardens, © Northern Ireland Photos

variety of rare and unusual plants, shrubs and trees, with colourful parterres and Italian, shamrock and sunken gardens. The Dodo Terrace has a menagerie of animal statues representing Lady Londonderry's famous friends.

The Londonderry's were prominent figures in British society and political life and the house itself is filled with fine furniture and paintings. The bedrooms are named after eminent cities, and in the dining room are 22 original Empire chairs used by delegates at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Among the paintings is George Stubbs' life-sized portrait of the racehorse, Hambletonian. Atop a hill, with wonderful views of Strangford Lough, is the Temple of the Winds, an octagonal banqueting hall designed by James 'Athenian' Stewart in the 1780's.

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