Ranger-Led Tour of Antrim Castle Gardens

Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon a council ranger takes a small group through one of the finest surviving formal gardens in Ireland, and does it for free. The Ranger-Led Tour of Antrim Castle Gardens runs at 2pm, lasts about an hour, and covers ground that has barely changed since the 1660s. It suits anyone with a passing interest in history, garden lovers wanting more than a self-guided wander, and families who fancy a proper story to go with the scenery.

What to expect

The tour starts at the Wolfhound Statue in Clotworthy Courtyard - a good landmark that is easy to find from the car park. From there the ranger leads you through a garden that is genuinely old: the Anglo-Dutch canals, the formal avenues and the large parterre were all laid out in the mid to late 1600s, and the bones of that original design are still visible today. The site began with Sir Hugh Clotworthy in 1613 and was developed by his son John, the 1st Viscount Massereene, into the formal estate you walk through now.

The ranger covers the full sweep of the Massereene family history - a dynasty with more than a few colourful characters - and explains how the estate changed over the centuries. You will pass the 12th-century Norman motte, the Victorian pleasure grounds, the walled garden and the canal system. The castle itself was destroyed by fire in 1922 and finally demolished in the 1970s, so the ruins are part of the story too. A £6 million restoration project completed in the early 2010s brought the formal gardens back to something close to their original layout.

The walk is on flat ground throughout and suitable for most visitors. Before or after the tour, Clotworthy House - the old stable block, now an arts centre - is open and worth a look. It holds the Garden Heritage Exhibition, which fills in the background on the estate and the families behind it.

Getting there

Antrim Castle Gardens are on Randalstown Road, Antrim BT41 4LH, a short walk from Antrim railway station - trains run regularly from Belfast Central and take roughly 25 minutes. By road, Antrim sits just off the M2/M22 motorway, well signposted from both Belfast and the north. Free car parking is available at the gardens.

While you’re in Antrim

Antrim town sits on the north-eastern shore of Lough Neagh, which makes the area good walking country beyond the gardens themselves. There is more to see in Antrim and across Co. Antrim.

Good to know

• Date: Saturday 4 July 2026 - and every Saturday and Sunday throughout the season at 2:00pm
• Meeting point: Wolfhound Statue, Clotworthy Courtyard
• Duration: approximately 1 hour
• Price: Free - no booking required
• More information: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk
• The walk is on flat ground and accessible to most visitors