Powerscourt

Powerscourt has many unique nooks and crannies. The tower is called Pepper Pot Tower and looks like it could be a kids cool kind of fort. I've pasted below the real story behind the tower--but the made up ones seem to be fun too. You can get a unique view of the spiral staircase leading up to the top of the tower--the views are now somewhat blocked by the taller trees, but still a nice vantage point.

The gate is the Bamberg Gate and came from the Cathedral at Bamberg in Bavaria and dates from 1770. This opens onto the walled gardens, which contains a special small pond with busts of philosophers that the Viscount created in memory of his mother. You could imagine walking out here to meditate and reflect. Very serene.

There was an extensive pet cemetery too! Laura actually took shots of every head stone--they included mostly dogs, but also ponies and even a cow! Blurbs on these below as well.


TOWER

This wooded valley in the eastern part of the Gardens derives its name from the distinctive Pepper Pot Tower which stands at its head. The tower was modelled on the pepper pot in the 8th Viscount's dining room and was built to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1911. It provides a fine vantage point for both the house and grounds

PET CEMETERY

Formal headstones mark the last resting place of much loved pets belonging to the Wingfield and Slazenger families. The quiet slope beneath mature trees is believed to contain the largest pets' cemetery in any private Irish garden. The nearby azaleas and rhododendrons bring striking colour to this area of the garden in May and June.

JAPANESE GARDEN

In 1908 a Japanese garden was laid out on reclaimed bogland to the south of the Triton pond. A series of concentric paths leads the visitor around the garden which features a pagoda, stone lanterns and several bridges over a stream. The inner circle suggests a discovery of our inner selves, while the outer circles, which run along the upper part of the garden, provide a greater knowledge of the world around us. Planting in this area includes Japanese maples, azaleas and Chinese Fortune Palms (Trachycarpus fortunei).