History
The Parklands at Russborough were shaped to match Joseph Lesson’s ambitions, with a formal design in place from its very inception. In 1742 alone, over 21,000 trees were planted. This transitional period is still reflected in the landscape here where the remnants of the vast lawn and six terraces with a shaped pond in the middle can be appreciated to the north, facing front of the house. Meanwhile to the south there is a more naturalistic prospect with rolling fields, serpentine lakes and ancient trees on grassy hillocks. It remains an almost intact surviving example of an 18th Century Irish demesne, the endurance of which is remarkable, given that so many others have been lost – with features such as our Walled Garden, the Ice-House, the Lime Kiln and the serpentine lakes.
