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Antrim Castle Gardens
Randalstown Road, Antrim.
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 9.30am - 9.30pm (or dusk if earlier)
Sat: 10am - 5pm
Sun: 2pm - 5pm
Admission: Free access to Gardens.
These impressive 17th century water gardens are one of the earliest of their kind remaining in the British Isles. The site contains many exceptional features including an ancient motte, a spectacular and unique parterre, long canal, round pond and paths through the demesne, as well as remnants of Antrim Castle.
Lady Marion and The Wolfhound:
Back in the 17th century, Marion, wife of Hugh Clotworthy, often walked through the woods to the Lough Shore. One day a wolf startled her. She fainted and on recovering she saw the wolf was dead. Lying beside her, licking her hand was her defender - an Irish wolfhound. With gratitude the wolfhound was taken to the Castle and cared for until one day it mysteriously disappeared. One stormy night the howling of a wolfhound was heard high over the wind, startling the wardens of the Castle, who quickly lit beacon fires only to see their enemy gathering below. The hound had raised the alarm and at dawn the occupants of the Castle saw standing on the highest turret a figure of the dog transformed into stone. The legend is commemorated in a statue carved in 1612.
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