Issie: Bantry House And Gardens                                                          

Bantry House And Gardens

    
I recently decided to treat myself to a day in Bantry House and Gardens in West Cork, Ireland.  I have always loved it there and I have fond memories of walking in the gardens with my Grandfather many years ago.  It is a beautiful, old stately home but what is truely unique about Bantry House is that the desendents of the original family still live there and run the house and gardens.


The setting is truely amazing, overlooking Bantry Bay and the gardens are luscious and well maintained.  I started my day by doing a Live History Tour of the house.  This involved taking us back in time to 1860 with a maid in costume and we had to solve the mystery of the hidden treasure within the house.  It was fun, interactive and interesting.  The tour lasted an hour and we got to see many rooms throughout this fine house.


I was then treated to a private, traditional Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Room.  The setting was exquisite, the service was excellent and the food was exceptional.  They even had the fire lit for me!  I felt like a true Lady of the House.  And the attention to detail was astounding, right down to the engraved silver spoon and the original bone china teacup.



After all of that fine dining, I went outside into the beautiful gardens and I walked up the legendary one hundred steps and took in the breath taking views of Bantry Bay.  It was simply amazing and well worth the climb!





The atmosphere of the whole place is laid back, friendly and decadent.  The house itself is a treasure trove of historic artifacts and the garden is a relaxing oasis where you will be charmed and left wanting more.

I absolutely adored my day in Bantry House and you can watch the whole experience on my youtube channel Issie.  The title of the video is Irish Stately Home Visit and Afternoon Tea at Bantry House with Issie.


See you soon,
Issie
xxx