Taken on an overcast day at Kylemore Abbey. As far as I can remember, Kylemore Abbey was originally a private home built by Mitchell Henry back in the 1860s. Mitchell, a wealthy English politician, spared no expense during construction of the house.
For me, the highlight of the grounds has to be the walled garden – it originally featured 21 glass houses, which were heated by boilers which allowed him to grow banannas and other tropical plants. And as most of the glasshouses were linked, it also gave guests a dry warm place to walk on the days when the weather was being less than cooperative. Sadly all of the original glass houses were collapsed over time, however two have been restored to their former glory.
In the 1920s, the Benedictine Community founded the Abbey and opened a boarding school. They are doing a fabulous job maintaining the grounds.
I really wish I could have seen this place in the 1800s – it must have been something else.