Burtown House, worth a one-time lunch visit

As part of an occasional series about places to go to in the area, I’m kicking off with Burtown House near Ballitore, writes Brian Byrne.

It’s in its first year as an attraction open to the public, but this Georgian country house and its small estate and gardens is well worth a weekend look.

The place is run by the Fennell family, with links back to the Shackletons and through them to the original Quaker owners of Burtown. It is also the home of artist Wendy Walsh, her artist daughter Lesley Fennell, and Lesley's son, photographer James Fennell.

Lesley directs the planting of the extensive gardens, which include the lawns area close to the main house and other leisure gardens. There’s also a traditional walled kitchen garden with a wide range of seasonal vegetables that are used by the family and in the Gallery Cafe which serves lunch at weekends. On the other days the Cafe serves light refreshments, and home-made confectionery. It is also the location for a permanent exhibition of Wendy Walsh’s work, mainly exquisite renditions of plants.

A woodland area on an island created by dividing a stream going through the property is host to many wild plants, a number of which are also featured in the exhibition.

There are some modern sculptures scattered through the grounds, the elements of what is planned to be a more extensive Sculpture Park. As yet they don’t have information at the sculpture sites themselves, but no doubt will have in due course.

The whole ambience is pleasant and informal, and it makes for a nice way of spending a couple of hours if you have any interest at all in gardens.

The entrance fee is €6 for adults, young children are free. But be aware that you have to pay this fee even if all you want to do is visit the Gallery Cafe, with no reimbursements should you have lunch or refreshments.

That’s a pity, really, because it makes return visits for the excellent home-cooked lunches rather too expensive, with the entrance fee on top of mains that cost €12-€14. A €25 season entrance ticket is available, but since the gardens are open just between April-September, it would require very many visits indeed for lunch to be worthwhile.

But a once-off visit is well worth it. Credit cards are not accepted. But you can ring the big bell as you come up to the house, and have a go on the tasseled swing under an ancient tree. Everybody does.