The Cardinal rule to be applied according to the Second Earl of Bantry was that house, garden and site must be a unit, as if one could not have been conceived without the others.
Being true to his word, he terraced the land around the house, seven terraces in all, with the house sitting on the third terrace. A parterre facing south surrounding a wisteria circle which again surrounds a fountain was /also created. From there rise the famous Hundred Steps, a monumental staircase built of local stone, set amidst azaleas and rhododendron.
Bantry House which was enlarged to its current form in the early 19th Century, is a stunning place to visit and offers delightful accommodation onsite.
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