Hillsborough Castle

Hillsborough Castle is a 18th Century home set in 98 acres of grounds. It is the royal residence in Northern Ireland, home to the Secretary of State and the setting of landmark political decisions marking changes in Northern Ireland's turbulent history. During the decades leading up to the present day the grounds in-part became the forgotten backdrop, large sections became overgrown and fell into a state of disrepair.

In 2014 Historic Royal Palaces took over the operation of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and embarked on a major restoration project. The aim of the project was to open what was once described as a ' locked away hidden gem'. Through ambitious planning, £20 million investment, two years of design and two further years of sensitive construction, the doors have been flung open to all; reintroducing a rich and vibrant historic landscape, giving the castle and gardens a future as valuable as its past.

The Paul Hogarth Company developed the landscape design package in consultation with Specialist Garden Designers Catherine Fitzgerald and Mark Lutyens. Proposals required to maintain the quality of the environment as the place of residence for the Royal Family in Northern Ireland, whilst making it a tourist destination, attracting over 200,000 people each year.

The Paul Hogarth Company led the delivery of the landscape elements of the project which included the restoration of the 18th Century Walled Garden, comprising of grand herbaceous borders, a water feature, Summer House and kitchen gardens. Creation of the Lost Garden alongside the previously overgrown stream integrates new cascades, bridges and follies within extensive and exotic areas of planting. Other areas included the formal State Entrance and a new car park, capable of accommodating 1,000 cars and coaches that was designed with reinforced grass to have an estate landscape character. It along with the rest of the project upheld the highest standards of sustainability, including application of innovative techniques.

Local craftsmen and traditional construction techniques where employed to achieve the desired character and quality, fitting for this historic site while at the same time implementing modern sustainable construction methods to minimise the impact of the scheme on the environment.

The gardens have been rejuvenated and brought to life through the planting of over 10,000 trees, over 30,000 plants, 14,000 bulbs, 5000m2 of wildflowers and 3500m2 of productive kitchen garden restored.

The locked away hidden gem is in hiding no more.