County Waterford is home to a variety of 14 gardens to visit which in total span over 2,000 acres of woodlands to enjoy and walk as you soak up the sensational seasonal foliage colours of Autumn. This is in addition to the vast walking trails in the Comeragh and Knockmealdown mountain ranges, and woodland foothills, alongside 46km of Waterford’s majestic Greenway which are all open to the public to explore and enjoy.
Leaves can change their colour from as early as mid-September through early November. Typically, the second and third weeks of October are the peak times. Estate Director at Mount Congreve Gardens Ray Sinnott says, “Depending on where you live and of course the weather conditions the timing can change, but this is the typical season. This year we had so much rain, and the foliage is really beautiful, so getting out to enjoy the fruits of autumn is highly recommended this year.
The vivid leaf colours were actually hidden underneath the green all along and as sunlight decreases and cold increases, tree growth slows, and the production of green chlorophyll in their leaves begins to slow, revealing fall leaves’ brilliant yellow, orange, and red.”
The Tallest Tree in Ireland is located in Lord Waterford’s Estate at Curraghamore, it is a Sitka Spruce and stands at 49 metres or 160 feet tall and has a circumference of 6.5 metres. The gardens at Curraghmore Estate are a joy to explore, offering an impressive 1,000 acres of formal gardens, woodland and grazing fields and Ireland’s largest private demesne. It spans 800 years of Irish History and you can also enjoy the rich details of the home of the Marquis of Waterford on a guided house tour.
At nearby Mount Congreve Gardens, which is located just 10 minutes from Waterford City on the Waterford Greenway there are 70 acres of woodland gardens to feast your eyes upon with 16 kilometres of walking trails and even a ‘buggy tour’ if you’re not feeling up to exploring by foot. Mount Congreve Gardens is known as Ireland’s global garden. 10 minutes away from there in Tramore town sit the Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens with its gorgeously quaint café and views for miles out over Tramore Bay.
Heading towards the West of the county along the Waterford Greenway is a feast for the senses as the old railway line converted to a new cycling and walking trail cuts through the land offering valleys filled with greenery and viaducts through the tree tops.
Reaching the West of the county the majestic Lismore Castle Gardens are the oldest cultivated gardens in Ireland. The entrance is through The Reilig garden which is so called because there is a medieval graveyard in this area. Some of the walls around this garden date back to the 13th century. The Upper Garden, a 17th-century walled garden was constructed by Richard Boyle, the 1st Earl of Cork.
Close by are ‘Grand Design’ type houses, gardens and landscapes all along the Blackwater Valley including the beautiful Dromana House and Gardens, Cappoquin House and Gardens, Salterbridge House and Gardens and Tourin House and Gardens to name but a few.
If you’d like to make a weekend of it and immerse yourself in autumnal nature the Blackwater Eco Pods sit in Villierstown in the mountain foothills of the Blackwater Valley. These cosy, eco-friendly wooden eco pods can comfortably accommodate up to four adults or a family of five people. Ardmore Glamping offers luxurious log cabins with stunning sea views all nestled in the serenity of the Irish countryside and at Ireland’s Forest Hotel in Mount Congreve Gardens a range of accommodation types, from a gate lodge to bell-tent glamping to a Courtyard Suite offer a variety of accommodation types and each stay also includes the keys to the garden.
If a heritage stay is more of your ‘cup of tea’ then the ‘Bridgerton’ Autumn break at Faithlegg House Hotel is certainly for you. Enjoy a stay at the vibrant and colourful 19th-century manor house set in beautiful woodland. Faithlegg has also partnered with the Bishop’s Palace to offer guests a complimentary visit to the ‘Treasures Bridgerton’ tour. Here you will discover the real world of Bridgerton through the scandalous affairs and tantalising love stories that hide beneath the glossy veneer of Georgian high society, told through the housekeeper and butler – who of course have seen it all!
For further details on the best autumn breaks in Waterford and where you can best enjoy some leaf peeping this autumn in Waterford, see www.visitwaterford.com