Discover Kiltegan: Gardens and Building History

Kiltegan appeals to different interests with Patthana Garden and Humewood Castle: here, a designed garden and a Gothic Revival country house sit alongside a distinctive local history. Patthana Garden is in the village and is the garden of artist and painter TJ Maher. Humewood Castle is connected with an event from 1803 and also has its own architectural history. During your stay, you can therefore choose different points of focus, from garden design and architecture to history.

Patthana Garden: garden layout and ecological design

The Inner Garden combines a circular lawn with two island beds and surrounding borders. Perennials, trees and shrubs grow there. The design thus distinguishes an open central lawn from the planted areas around it. If you are interested in garden art, you can look out for these forms and the contrast between lawn and planting, rather than seeing the garden simply as a green space.

Ecological management is also part of Patthana Garden’s character. Many of the plants used attract wildlife. The garden layout and plant selection therefore offer two specific perspectives: the layout, with its circular and surrounding beds, and the plants that appeal to wildlife. For families or other visitors travelling together, this can make a visit interesting when different garden and nature themes catch their attention.

There are clear visiting conditions for entry to the garden: during the garden season, groups can arrange entry and a tour with TJ Maher by appointment in advance. The minimum group size is 15 people. So, if Patthana Garden is a key reason for your trip to Kiltegan, you should take group size, the garden season and advance booking into account together when planning.

Humewood Castle: architecture and history

Humewood Castle in Kiltegan is a detached, multi-bay country house in the Gothic Revival style. Its sections are two, three and four storeys high. Its architectural history comprises two distinct phases: the house was built from 1867 to 1870 to designs by William White; an extension followed from 1873 to 1877 to designs by James Brooks. If you are interested in architecture, you can use this chronology and the different design phases as a guide, rather than viewing the country house as the work of a single building phase.

Another historical connection dates back to 1803. Humewood Castle is associated with the surrender of the famous Wicklow rebel leader Michael Dwyer to Mr Hume, who was a Member of Parliament for County Wicklow. This connection is part of the place’s history and should be distinguished from the later architectural history of the country house: the surrender dates to 1803, while the building and extension phases mentioned above took place between 1867 and 1877. This gives you two distinct points of interest for your trip: local history and Gothic Revival architecture.

Kiltegan is also one of the village highlights on the South West Wicklow Heritage Trail. This offers another point of reference for travellers who want to focus their explorations on places of historical interest.

If you would like to explore more places as you plan your trip, you can also find Kilcoole, Newtownmountkennedy, Hollywood, Dunlavin, Ashford, Baltinglass, Aughrim and Wicklow here.

For the broader travel overview: County Wicklow.